Lago del Salto
Lago del Salto has the silhouette of a river that forgot to end. Narrow, deeply indented, following the old valley floor for 57 kilometres of shoreline, it sits at 535 metres in the Cicolano hills east of Rieti, ringed by oak, chestnut and beech that press right down to the water's edge. The effect is less alpine lake than flooded gorge — something between a fjord and a slow dark river.
On summer afternoons, when the water level drops, a bell tower breaks the surface near the old Clarisse monastery site. It belonged to a 13th-century church that no longer exists above ground. The rest of the village is still down there.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to time it right: early morning at the Fiumata shoreline before the pedal boats go out, or the Sentiero del Pellegrino from Piagge hamlet to the Grotto of Santa Filippa Mareri when the forest is still cool. Divers organise regular descents to the submerged hamlets — worth asking locally in Petrella Salto.
The story behind Lago del Salto
The lake did not exist before 1940. That year, the Salto river was dammed — a concrete barrage rising over 90 metres — and the valley known as Cicolano was slowly inundated. The purpose was industrial: to feed the Cotilia hydroelectric plant, completed in 1942, which in turn powered the Terni steelworks. A plaque carved into the rock at the dam records the names of workers who died in the construction.
Four communities — Borgo San Pietro, Teglieto, Fiumata and Sant'Ippolito — were obliterated and rebuilt on the new shoreline in rationalist architecture. Before the water rose, the 16th-century chapel of the old Borgo San Pietro monastery was dismantled stone by stone and reassembled on higher ground, its frescoes intact. Lago del Salto is connected to the neighbouring Lago del Turano by a submerged artificial canal nine kilometres long, part of the same hydroelectric system.
Good to know
From Rieti, take State Road 578 Salto Cicolana. From Rome, use the A24 and exit at Valle del Salto, then SR758. Swimming beaches at Fiumata and Borgo San Pietro are free to access; parasols, deckchairs and canoes rent for a fee. Summer draws the most visitors; spring and autumn offer quieter shores and clearer water.
Summers are hot and can turn muggy, but the lake moderates the surrounding hills enough to make shoreside afternoons bearable. Winters are mild by Apennine standards at lake level, though the mountain slopes above see colder, harder weather. Spring and early autumn offer the most comfortable conditions for hiking and diving.
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What travellers say about Lago del Salto
Lovely artificial lake in the Lazio region near Rieti. If you love wakeboard a must.
One of the most amazing settlements in Lazio region. Dominant nature with violet and orange colours in autumn/winter around Salto lake.
Amazing sunset over the lake.
Nice place to visit and you'd be amazed how deep the dam( lago) as you will see the water and the valley.🤗
Amazing place! Green and quiet
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