Labro is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region of Latium, located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) northeast of Rome and about 15 kilometres (9 mi) northwest of Rieti. It is a touristic destination and has been awarded with the orange flag.
As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 374 and an area of 11.4 square kilometres (4.4 sq mi).[3] Labro borders the following municipalities: Arrone, Colli sul Velino, Morro Reatino, Terni.
History
[edit]A tower of Labro's Nobili-Vitelleschi castle
Labro was founded between the 9th and 10th century; the first lord of Labro was sworn by Otto I in the year 956.[4] During the middle ages, Labro was a possession of the city of Rieti and served as a stronghold to secure the border with the city of Spoleto. For this reason, Labro was involved in a number of battles, in particular with the bordering castle of Luco which was controlled by Spoleto.[5]
After the Second World War, Labro suffered a strong depopulation, which endangered the very survival of the town. To fight the phenomenon and encourage tourism, starting from 1968, the heirs of the Nobili family decided to fully restore all the buildings in the village; the task was carried on by Flemish architect Ivan Van Mossevelde.[6]
There is an ex-Francescan monastery located in Labro that is run by the Colle di Costa hotel. From April 2010 to August 2013, the hotel shared the space with the Art Monastery Project, an international arts production organization that animated the town with regular performances and exhibitions.
