Attractions and Places To See around Rocca Sinibalda - Top 20

It is located just before the bridge that crosses the lake and leads to Castel di Tora

A nice hike, but the view of the two lakes of Turano and Salto is priceless.

San ROCCO was chosen as the patron saint for this church and the corresponding parish. Saint Roch was born in the middle of the 14th century in Montpellier, France. He is popularly regarded as the "plague saint" - alongside Saint Sebastian. A characteristic feature of Roch's depiction in paintings and as a statue is that he is usually pointing to a plague boil on his leg; a dog can also often be seen at his feet, because according to legend, when he was caring for plague victims, he himself became ill and withdrew into solitude, and the dog provided him with bread every day. The memorial day of San Rocco in the calendar of saints is August 16th.

Lago del Salto is a small but successive artificial lake near Rieti whose circumference is about 32 km of asphalted and mostly flat road. A wonderful route to do by bike, even with the family, taking into account both the low car traffic and the good condition of the road surface perfectly passable with MTB, GRAVEL, City Bike, Racing bike etc. and the beautiful naturalistic views of the lake and the mountains. Along the route there are several rest areas where you can rest and eat a sandwich, but there is also a bar with a beautiful view near the dam. Also along the route you will encounter the town of Fiumata, diametrically opposite the dam, and the town of Borgo San Pietro, halfway between Fiumata and the dam, this is the ideal starting point thanks to the large spaces available for parking cars, but above all for the numerous restaurants with a view of the lake, open all year round and offering excellent local dishes, ideal to enjoy especially after a nice ride like this. For those who want to make the undertaking more challenging there is the variant that passes through Varco Sabino and then through the town of Rigatti, the tour is extended by a total of 10 km, testing a truly challenging climb and descent. Definitely worth trying.

Rocca Sinibalda dominates the lush Turano Valley from above, the second most important river in Sabina after the Velino. The village is dominated by a castle founded around 1060. It was rebuilt as a fortress and noble residence in the 1630s by Cardinal Alessandro Cesarini who hired the famous Sienese architect Baldassarre Peruzzi for the occasion. It can only be visited on certain days. It is therefore advisable to inform yourself before departure.

The passage over the dam is spectacular and the "jump" below is very impressive.

The Romanesque bridge dates back to the 11th century, but was probably built on a pre-existing building of an unspecified period, of rare beauty, still usable but which requires urgent and significant restoration. In the two pillars it is possible to notice the three "holes" used to insert wooden poles horizontally, capable of supporting the "centre" for closing the stone arch. As you pass the bridge on the left, going up towards Posticciola, there is still a clear trace of "Garitta Muraria" where the border point with the Papal State and Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was made, and with the "horizontal transhumance" the duty for the ride. Transhumance has an ancient history which most likely coincides with the history of breeding itself and was regulated and disciplined since Roman times by a set of laws of taxes to be paid in the various customs. Transhumance derives from the Latin "trans" (beyond) and "humus" (earth) = pastoralism transmigrating with the seasons, along the sheep tracks (from the Latin "tractoria" = the shepherds' roads). In southern Italy transhumance was divided into "vertical" and "horizontal". The first concerned the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with several sheep tracks that connected from Abruzzo to Puglia (the most important was the famous "Tratturo Magno"). Horizontal transhumance, however, also of ancient origins, descended into the Roman countryside and increased considerably in 1477, when Pope Sixtus IV forced all the shepherds of the "Kingdom of the Church" to take their animals to winter in the Agro Romano. Transhumance in Lazio reached its peak starting from 1800, when the "vertical" one entered into crisis. This was usually in provincial sections from Umbria towards Civitavecchia, from the Marche towards Polo and Maccarese, from Abruzzo towards the Roman countryside, from Ciociaria towards Anzio and Terracina. http://www.magiadelturano.it/index.php/posticciola/ponte-romanico

The Castle of Rocca Sinibalda, located in the province of Rieti, has a rich and fascinating history. Its construction dates back to the 10th century and was built to defend the surrounding area and control the territory. Over the centuries, the castle passed between various noble families, including the Savellis, the Orsinis and the Sinibaldis, from which it takes its name.