Lakes Lungo and Ripasottile

Lakes Lungo and Ripasottile, immersed in the lovely Piana Reatina, are the last testimony of what, in ancient times, was known as the Velinus lake, reclaimed in 271 B.C. by the Roman consul Manio Curio Dentato, who ordered the construction of a canal to divert the stagnant waters into the natural cliff at Marmore, from which they fell into the Nera river, forming the Marmore Falls. This operation made it possible to create a fertile plain that represented a real fortune of Rieti in the following years. Lake Ripasottile is almost 2 km. long and has a perimeter of 6 km., while Lake Lungo, is just over 1 km. long and has a perimeter of 3 km. Both basins are located within the homonymous Protected Nature Reserve and represent the ideal place for birdwatching, especially in winter months during the migratory flows of a large number of birds.