Long before Italy was united, Reiti was a major site in the Sabine nation and later became a strategic point in the early Italian road network that linked Rome to the Adriatic Sea. Later, Rieti became a favorite Papal seat and was the site of several important historical events, including the marriage of Constance Hauteville, the corwing of Charles I by Pope Nicholas in 1289, and the celebration of the canonization of St. Dominic by Pope Gregory IX in 1234.
Interesting features of modern Rieti include the Cathedral, with a stunning Romanesque bell tower built in 1252 and a statue of St. Barbara by Giannatonio Mari; the Palazzo Vescovile – or Bishops Palace – with its Rennaisance windows and a Grand Hall housing the Diocese Gallery; and the Santa Maria in Vescovio, an 8th century church with frescoes from the 13th and 14th centuries depicting the Last Judgment and scenes from the Bible.
As the center of the Rieti province, the town of Rieti also features a number of gelaterias, clothing stores, delicious restaurants, and the surprisingly diverse music store Mussicisti http://it-it.facebook.com/people/Musicisti-Rieti/100000439294131.
The Rieti Valley also is an important part of the Cammino di Francesco, or Saint Francis Walk. Along with Assisi and the Verna, Sain Francis made the Rieti Valley his home. It is here that he created the first Nativity in Christianity in 1223, wrote the rule of the Franciscan Order, and most likely composted The Canticle of All Creatures.
Cammino di Francesco
Bonus fun fact: Kobe Bryant went to school in Rieti (and speaks fluent Italian) because his dad, Joe, played basketball in Rieti from 1984 to 1992.
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