Just because they have left Rome, and the splendor of the Italian capital, behind them, visitors should not think that the beauty of Lazio has ended. They need only follow the Via Tiburtina to discover countless traces of the Imperial City, as they travel along the road which leads to the ancient city of Tibur, modern day Tivoli. Famous since Ancient Roman times because of its strategic position on the Tiburtini hills, traversed by the river Aniene, Tivoli has been made even more beautiful by those who have lived in the town, and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The thermal waters in nearby Bagni di Tivoli and the proximity to the river Aniene, brought the Emperor Hadrian and, centuries later, the Cardinal Ippolito d'Este to Tivoli. The Roman Emperor built his magnificent Villa Adriana here between 118 and 138 A.D.. Some 1500 years later, Villa d'Este was built, complete with stunning Italian gardens and water features, alimented by water taken directly from the river Aniene.
From the waters of the Aniene to those of the Rieti Lakes. The territory of Sabina, the ancient homeland of the Sabine, is full of lakes, woods, valleys and mountains, dotted with medieval villages and ancient houses of worship. Here St Francis of Assisi completed part of his spiritual journey. At Poggio Bustone, just steps away from the Rieti Lakes Nature Reserve, the Convent Church of San Giacomo Maggiore contains a fresco cycle which recounts the life of the "poverello", who came here to pray. The Sanctuary of the Sacro Speco, situated some 1000 meters above sea level, was another house of worship visited by St Francis. The Convent of Forte Colombo, the so-called 'Sinai Francescano', just a few kilometers from Rieti, is also well worth a visit. Here, legend has it, the saint had a vision of Christ immediately after his diseased eyes had been cauterized.
The next stretch of our journey takes us to a city often described as the "naval of Italy": Rieti. The Rieti born scholar, Marci Terenzio Varrone (116 B.C - 27 B.C.), was one of the first to claim that this provincial capital represented the exact center of Italy. Today, in Piazza San Rufo, visitors can still see the stone which testifies to the city's strategic significance. In the 1950s, the writer Guido Piovene described Rieti as "a beautiful city with an aristocratic structure" in which noble town houses alternate with churches of great beauty. The Cathedral dell'Assunta, the Romanesque origin of which can still be seen in the bell tower, was substantially rebuilt in baroque style in the 17th century. The position of Rieti, at the foot of Monte Terminillo, makes the city a popular destination with skiers heading for one of the most important ski resorts in central Italy.
This itinerary concludes just steps away from the border with Abruzzo, at Amatrice. Since 1991, the Amatrice basin has been included in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. From here, any number of trekking routes of various difficulty lead visitors through the nature reserve. After a few hours spent walking in the great outdoors, we make a trip to the medieval center of Amatrice, to see its historic buildings and enjoy a piping hot dish of the legendary pasta all'amatriciana.
