What is Castel di Tora known for?

Artificial reservoir dammed in 1936 for hydroelectric regulation of the Turano river, ten kilometers long below the Sabini and Carseolani. Promontory village emptied when the dam closed; the restored Palazzo del Drago with 365 windows now stands across a small isthmus. Highest peak of the Carseolani at 1,508 meters, anchor of the Riserva Naturale Monte Navegna e Monte Cervia.

Where is Castel di Tora?

Castel di Tora is a comune in the province of Rieti, Lazio region of Italy, about 67 kilometers from Terni.

Lazio · Rieti

Castel di Tora

A village of 266 on Lago del Turano at 607 meters, with an eleventh-century polygonal tower and a ghost promontory called Antuni.

607m

Elevation

67 km / 42 mi

Nearest hub (Terni)

266

Population

May–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Castel di Tora sits at 607 meters on the northeast shore of Lago del Turano, in the upper Sabina, fifty kilometers northeast of Rome. The lake itself is artificial, dammed in 1936 for hydroelectric regulation of the Turano river; before then, two villages stood on the valley floor. One of them, Antuni, gave up its houses and emptied. Today a small isthmus runs out to the Antuni promontory, where the fifteenth-century Palazzo del Drago, built with 365 windows for the days of the year, has been restored along with its garden labyrinth. The medieval centro storico climbs the slope above the lake to a polygonal fortress tower of the eleventh century. The Monti Sabini close the western shore; the Carseolani close the eastern, rising to Monte Navegna at 1,508 meters. Two hundred and sixty-six people live here year-round. The Cammino di San Benedetto passes through on its way from Subiaco to Rieti.

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Gallery

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Known for

Rocca medievale
Eleventh-century polygonal fortress tower on the cliff above the village, anchor of the original Castrum Vetus that gave the town its name.
Antuni e Palazzo del Drago
Restored fifteenth-century palace with 365 windows for the days of the year, on the Antuni promontory across an isthmus, with a garden labyrinth.
Lago del Turano
Artificial reservoir dammed in 1936 at 536 meters elevation, ten kilometers long, 60 meters deep, surrounded by the Sabini and Carseolani ranges.
Monte Navegna
Highest peak of the Monti Carseolani at 1,508 meters, anchor of the protected Riserva Naturale Monte Navegna e Monte Cervia above the lake.
Centro storico
Stone village of fewer than 300 residents climbing the slope above the lake, inscribed in I Borghi più Belli d'Italia.

When to visit

Best months · May–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through October is the season for Castel di Tora. The lake warms to swimming by late June, the Sabini stay green into August, and the chestnut woods on the slopes turn gold in October. July and August fill the lakeshore with day-trippers from Rome and Rieti, especially weekends. November through April is quiet at 607 meters: cold nights, low cloud over the water, almost no visitors. The Sagra dello Stoccafisso, the village's traditional dried-cod festa, runs in August and remains the year's anchor event.