Castel di Tora, Valle del Turano, Rieti

Despite the name change, the inhabitants of the small village on Lake Turano are still called castelvecchiesi in memory, precisely, of the old denomination. The medieval village of Castel di Tora is included among the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy. The name recalls the ancient Sabine-Roman city of Thiora, at 607 meters high and 33 kilometers from Rieti. The houses of the village are reflected in the waters of the Turano. Its fortress, an ancient keep in the shape of a pentagonal tower, stands steeply above the lake. Its skyline has become almost a symbol of the entire valley. Clean, orderly, it stands out for the grace of arches and small courtyards. Opposite the village, on a small peninsula connected by an isthmus, rises a conical-shaped rocky height, with the ruins of the Dragon Castle, at the foot of which the remains of the ancient Antuni (from the 15th and 16th centuries) are visible, which can only be visited on foot (you need to contact the Tourist Information Point).