Gole del Velino, Canyon and ecological site in Province of Rieti, Italy.

Gole del Velino is a canyon stretching about 14 kilometers between Mount Terminillo and the Abruzzo Apennines, characterized by steep cliffs and deep gorges carved by the Velino River. The modern State Road 4 Via Salaria runs through the gorges, offering access to various observation points and rock formations along the way.

The ancient Roman road Via Salaria, connecting Rome to the Adriatic Sea, passed through these gorges and left visible traces of engineering works in the landscape. This trading route shaped the region's development for centuries.

The abbey of Saints Quirico and Giulitta, founded in the 10th century, stands on the right of the Salaria about a kilometre and a half from Antrodoco, outside the gorge proper rather than inside it. It was an important centre of power in the Middle Ages and was abandoned in the 17th century. A modern road junction planned a few metres from the abbey drew criticism.

The gorges are crossed by the State Road 4 Via Salaria, a narrow, winding road that follows roughly the line of the ancient Roman consular road; Antrodoco at 495 m is the southern gateway and Posta at 720 m the northern one. Antrodoco also marks the junction with the SS17 to L'Aquila, Posta with the SS471 to Leonessa, Cascia and Montereale. The Salaria railway planned through the gorges was never built.

The site contains multiple karst formations and caves such as the Grotta di San Quirico and Grotta Oscura, formed by underground water flows over thousands of years. These caves reveal how the river dissolved rock and created hidden passages beneath the surface.