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river, near the present-day village of
Marmore. As a result, the riverbed was occluded and the Rieti Plain was flooded becoming a lake. The water level in the lake rose and lowered several times during the centuries, favouring the formation of wide marshy zones around the lake where it was unhealthy
348:
visited repeatedly the Rieti Valley: the first time probably in 1209, then a long stay in 1223 and then another from the autumn of 1225 to April 1226. While in the valley
Francis presented the first living
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have preserved similar conditions to those present before the draining of the valley, and are a resting area for many migrating bird species; for this reason the area is now a nature reserve.
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Even after the lake was drained, recurring floods of the Velino river still caused problems for farmers, damaging their fields. This problem was solved in the
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used it as a starting point for his experiments, which led to the creation of wheat varieties that became popular all over the world in the mid-20th century.
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were built along the course of the two main tributaries of Velino (rivers Salto and Turano) to control their flow. As a result, the large artificial lakes
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After the fall of the Roman Empire, lack of maintenance caused the canal to become obstructed again and in the Middle Ages the lake partially reformed.
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decided to drain the lake by digging an artificial canal in the limestone rock at
Marmore. This imposing engineering achievement created the
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In the 19th century, wheat native to the Rieti Valley was famous all over Italy for being very productive and disease-resistant; agronomist
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wrote that, if a stick was planted in a field, it could not be seen anymore on the day after, due to the grass that had grown around it.
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river, and create a large and fertile valley to be farmed. Of the original great lake only some minor lakes remain, the largest being
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The Rieti Plain has a semi-circular shape and covers around 90 km (35 sq mi), ranging from 370 to 380
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Today, the
Franciscan sanctuaries have become objects of pilgrimage; tourists and pilgrims walk a path known as the
325:(which was refined at the Rieti sugar mill). Today the most important crops are corn, sunflowers and vegetables.
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was charged to dig a new canal, but died of malaria in 1546 before the works were completed. Only in 1596
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carried by water in the river deposited in the tight canyon where it flowed, shortly before joining the
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The Rieti Valley has always been known for its fertility, and was sometimes nicknamed "the granary of
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lived here for many years and erected four shrines, which have become the destination of pilgrims.
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Plastic model on display at the Civic Museum of Rieti, showing the extent of ancient Velino Lake
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On the plain two minor lakes can be found, the remains of the ancient Lake
Velinus:
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enjoyed economic prosperity and became often a papal seat, from
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were formed (around 20 km southeast from the Rieti plain).
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The stay of Saint
Francis coincided with a period in which
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completed the new canal, ultimately draining the valley.
419:"Un'escursione geologica a Rieti e nella Piana Reatina"
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206:New draining interventions were ordered in 1545 by
23:The Rieti Valley and Ripasottile Lake as seen from
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98:. Originated from the draining of the ancient
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471:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
486:Antonio De Nino (1884). R. Carabba (ed.).
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174:and acquired control of the area), consul
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146:river. The lake was formed during the
272:to the east (the highest peak being
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166:For this reason, in 271 BC (after
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353:, wrote the final version of the
344:In the course of his life, saint
317:Other crops in the past included
218:ordered new interventions, and
212:Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
521:Ileana Tozzi (29 April 2012).
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94:and an important part of the
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268:to the west and south and
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63:, where lies the city of
16:Landform in central Italy
90:It is the center of the
523:"Rieti, cittĂ dei papi"
504:"San Francesco a Rieti"
448:Eugenio Duprè Thesèider
329:Tourism and pilgrimages
256:as seen from the valley
102:, it is crossed by the
456:Enciclopedia Italiana
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262:metres above sea level
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176:Manius Curius Dentatus
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67:. It is also known as
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440:Francesco Palmeggiani
399:Abbey of Saint Pastor
371:, Poggio Bustone and
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198:Cascata delle Marmore
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180:Cascata delle Marmore
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31:bordering the valley.
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508:Cammino di Francesco
395:Cammino di Francesco
365:Sanctuary of Greccio
357:, probably also the
338:Cammino di Francesco
489:Briciole letterarie
360:Canticle of the Sun
312:Nazareno Strampelli
285:Lago di Ripasottile
159:to live because of
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436:Riccardo Riccardi
346:Francis of Assisi
229:, when two large
216:pope Clement VIII
188:Lago di Piediluco
170:had defeated the
96:province of Rieti
85:Francis of Assisi
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552:Valleys of Lazio
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274:Monte Terminillo
254:Monte Terminillo
220:Giovanni Fontana
106:and bordered by
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547:Plains of Italy
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355:Franciscan Rule
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351:nativity scene
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287:. These small
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83:) since saint
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373:Fonte Colombo
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208:Pope Paul III
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92:Sabine region
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69:Sacred Valley
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61:central Italy
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55:) is a small
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53:Conca Reatina
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49:Piana Reatina
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384:Innocent III
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266:Monti Sabini
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138:, since its
136:Lake Velinus
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112:Monti Sabini
104:Velino river
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65:Rieti, Lazio
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37:Rieti Valley
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29:Monti Sabini
386:in 1198 to
295:Agriculture
227:Fascist era
100:Lake Velino
81:Valle Santa
73:Holy Valley
41:Rieti Plain
541:Categories
405:References
369:La Foresta
323:sugar beet
281:Lago Lungo
148:quaternary
132:prehistory
527:Frontiera
444:Doro Levi
390:in 1298.
245:Geography
152:limestone
140:tributary
467:cite web
458:Treccani
450:(1936).
289:wetlands
142:was the
452:"Rieti"
172:Sabines
161:malaria
150:, when
77:Italian
45:Italian
305:Virgil
239:Turano
144:Velino
118:Origin
422:(PDF)
380:Rieti
235:Salto
57:plain
473:link
340:sign
321:and
319:woad
301:Rome
283:and
237:and
231:dams
184:Nera
168:Rome
156:Nera
110:and
71:and
35:The
303:".
130:In
59:in
51:or
39:or
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