Rieti - Basilica di Sant'Agostino

In the late period of the Roman Republic Reate (= Rieti) was a thriving city. In the imperial period, the place was made a municipium and Emperor Vespasian, whose family lived in Reate, settled veterans here.

Rieti has been the seat of a bishop since around 500 AD. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it first came under the rule of the Goths, then in the second half of the 6th century under that of the Lombards. The Saracens devastated the city in the 9th century. King Roger II of Sicily had the city destroyed in 1149. Later Rieti became a free commune and always pursued a policy loyal to the pope. In 1239, soldiers of Emperor Friedrich II devastated the city. After the transfer of the Pope's seat to Avignon, Rieti was under the influence of the King of Naples, while internal fighting between the Ghibellines and the Guelphs broke out in the city.

The church was built in the mid-13th century by the Augustinians. In this period Rieti enjoyed economic prosperity and the Pope often made the Episcopal Palace his residence.

The church was severely damaged in the earthquake of 1898 when the roof collapsed. Since 2010 it is a "basilica minor".