Lands of Water, Stone and Paths — "Paths of Stone, Light and Faith" weekend

A widespread festival in the heart of the Montepiano Reatino

Lands of Water, Stone and Paths is the widespread festival promoted by the V Mountain Community of Montepiano Reatino and funded by the Lazio Region. The first edition took place in June 2026, connecting the villages of the upper Rieti province through four themed weekends, each managed by a group of municipalities. The Municipality of Morro Reatino took the stage during the second weekend, titled "Paths of Stone, Light and Faith", shared with Labro and Cantalice.

Morro Reatino and its illuminated tower

The most recognizable feature of the event in Morro Reatino was the Art Light installations, which for three evenings dressed the medieval tower overlooking the village in light. The same artistic signature enhanced the Vitelleschi Castle and the Tower of Labro: a dialogue of illuminated architecture that, from ridge to ridge, made the historical fabric of this stretch of the Apennine Lazio visible from afar.

The most convivial moments of the program gathered around the tower, with tastings of local products that tell the story of the area's agro-pastoral economy and visits to the corners of the village, suspended between the ridge and the plain carved by the lakes.

A territory of water, stone, and paths

The festival's title is no coincidence. The water is that of the Laghi Lungo and Ripasottile Nature Reserve and the springs that dot the Rieti basin; the stone is that of the walled villages and watchtowers; the paths are the Franciscan ones, which cross Greccio, Poggio Bustone, and Cantalice, making this valley one of the most popular spiritual destinations in Italy. Morro Reatino, overlooking this scenery, is a natural viewpoint.

The program of the four weekends

• June 5-7 — "Water and Nature Awakening" in Colli sul Velino, Rivodutri, and the MAKO area of Rieti: photography workshops, horseback riding, archeo-trekking, zero-kilometer tastings, and a cello concert at the Santa Susanna Springs.
• June 12-14 — "Paths of Stone, Light and Faith" in Labro, Morro Reatino, and Cantalice: Art Light installations, sunset guitar concert by Giovanni Seneca, artistic crafts exhibition, guided tours, and improvised poetry.
• June 19-21 — "The Spirit of the Path — Horizons" in Poggio Bustone and Greccio: urban trekking along the Franciscan paths, theatrical performances, live music, and reflections on intercultural dialogue.
• June 26-28 — "Montepiano Tables and Nights of Light" in Cantalice, Poggio Bustone, Rivodutri, and the Lakes Reserve: Earth Market, show cooking, event dinners, astronomical observations, and the "Dark Hour" initiative.

A new route for inland areas

The project, coordinated by the Mediadux agency and led by the commissioner of the Mountain Community Simone Miccadei, was born with a clear goal: to promote "cultured, curious, and sustainable" tourism by networking municipalities that, individually, struggle to get noticed. Seven municipalities hosted events in the first edition — Cantalice, Colli sul Velino, Greccio, Labro, Morro Reatino, Poggio Bustone, and Rivodutri — while the other five of the Mountain Community are expected in future programs.

Why it's worth the trip

Those arriving in Morro Reatino during the festival find something that goes beyond the event itself: a village of a few hundred inhabitants that for a few evenings returns to being a place to pass through, with the tower lit up like a lighthouse over the valley. It is the model of the widespread festival applied to an inland area of Lazio, where the heritage is not in a museum but in the landscape itself.