The best cycling routes around Torricella In Sabina

A very short detour from the bike route of the Cammino di San Benedetto takes us to this beautiful village. Magnificently maintained by the inhabitants, it offers fascinating views and is adorned with paintings. It is a true open-air museum spread out.

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

Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta, Rieti The Cathedral of Saint Mary, Mother of God The Cathedral of Rieti, dedicated to Santa Maria Madre di Dio and commonly known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was rebuilt on the foundations of the early Christian basilica, documented since the fifth century, between 1109 and 1225. The lower basilica, consecrated in 1157 and striking for its sober and composed forms, is divided into nine naves supported by columns made from the rubble of ancient Roman buildings, among which stands out a milestone of the consular salaria. The upper basilica, in which the architectural lines of the Romanesque plan have remained intact, demonstrates the radical changes resulting from the adaptation of liturgical norms and the change in tastes and styles. Of particular value is the decoration of the main portal, which interprets the motif of acanthus spirals, with clear classical assonance, reinterpreted in the Christian iconography of the Tree of Life. Text / Source: Official Tourist Portal of the City of Rieti https://www.visitrieti.com/2020/01/25/la-cattedrale-di-s-maria-madre-di-dio/

Umbilicus Italiæ - Centro d'Italia, Rieti / Geographical Center of Italy In Piazza San Rufo, Varronian tradition places the so-called Umbilicus Italiae, the geographical center of Italy, commemorated by a plaque. Piazza San Rufo is located amidst the imposing buildings of the historic center, which line the main streets Via Roma and Via Garibaldi. In the center of the square, a section of wall, a remnant of the Roman city's first city walls, can be seen beneath the pavement. The value of this area is commemorated by a plaque and a monument with a unique shape, located exactly in the center of the square and aptly called "la caciotta" (the caciotta) for its rounded and circular design. The work, created between the 1980s and 1990s following the city's twinning with the Georgian capital Tbilisi, appears to resemble the base of a column and features the design of the Italian peninsula on its surface, accompanied by the inscription "Umbilicus Italiae" (Umbilicus Italiae), which runs along half the circumference of the monument itself. Text / Source: Official Tourist Portal of the City of Rieti https://www.visitrieti.com/2020/01/25/rieti-umbilicus-italiae/

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.

The abundance of water in the city of Rieti and the recurring floods of the Velino river also made it necessary to build a viaduct to raise the Salaria and cross the river with a solid stone bridge, the remains of which are still visible under the current bridge.

The three entrance portals to the cathedral and the bell tower maintain the original Romanesque style.

Going down via Roma you reach the Velino bridge, known however by the same name as the one demolished in the thirties and placed, a little below, on the river bed: Roman bridge.