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The Holy Valley
Rieti's Holy Valley is less than one hundred kilometres from Rome. The most ancient of the consular roads, La Salaria (the Saltroad) has many interesting sites along its path and is able to stir up magical and spiritual feelings in those who travel along it.
The most important visit regards the four Franciscan sanctuaries: Fonte Colombo, La Foresta, Greccio and Poggio Bustone. These sanctuaries form the ideal shape of a cross, constituting the symbol of San Francesco.
The four sanctuaries represent the fundamental places to visit during any pilgrimage that follows the footsteps of San Francesco, the Saint who tried to understand nature and to see the divine fingerprint in everything.
The result is the hermitages and monasteries in which traces of his presence seem to be impressed.
Terminillo
The Terminillo group of mountains is the most important of the four groups, of which the whole chain of the Rieti Mountains can be divided, both for mountaineering and skiing and for their flora and fauna. Consisting of a number of peaks divided by deep valleys and elegant ridges. In the east the Velino river divides it with a deep valley from Monte Giano and its course limits the whole southern side of the mountain group, while in the west it is bordered by the Rieti Plain and Lisciano Valley up to the Cantalice Saddle. To the north it is bordered by the Leonessa Plain.
The history of this mountain goes back to the second half of the 19th century. In 1901 the Rome Ski Club started construction of the Umberto I shelter, completed in 1903. In 1927 the Rieti Ski Club was born and in the beginning of the 1930's it built the Trebbiani cabin in Pian de Valli. It was Mussolini who urged the building of this street, and, consequently the construction of the living area in Pian de Valli.
Today it remains largely unchanged and Terminillo has become `the Mountain of Rome`. At present Mount Terminillo is among the most important tourist resorts both in winter and in summer and it is one of the areas with the best facilities for tourists in Southern Italy. Between 1500m and 2100m altitude there are a cablecar, 3 chair-lifts and 9 ski-lifts, serving about 40 km of ski slopes, of which three are certified for international competition, and is excellent for both beginners and experts. Mount Terminillo has qualified teachers working in various ski schools. At between 1500m and 1600m there are 26 km of cross-country ski routes. 2.5 km from the centre of Pian de Valli there is the high plain of "Cinque Confini", where various tracks wind into the beautiful beechwoods and small valleys, with routes of varying distance and difficulty. Mount Terminillo has a wide number and range of hotels, a modern Congress House, a youth hostel, CAI shelter and many apartments.
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