By using unbiased continuos-space quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate the ground state properties of a one-dimensional repulsive Fermi gas subjected to a commensurate periodic optical lattice (OL) of arbitrary intensity. The equation of state and the magnetic structure factor are determined as a function of the interaction strength and of the OL intensity. In the weak OL limit, Yang's theory for the energy of a homogeneous Fermi gas is recovered. In the opposite limit (deep OL), we analyze the convergence to the Lieb-Wu theory for the Hubbard model, comparing two approaches to map the continuous-space to the discrete-lattice model: the first is based on (noninteracting) Wannier functions, the second effectively takes into account strong-interaction effects within a parabolic approximation of the OL wells. We find that strong antiferromagnetic correlations emerge in deep OLs, and also in very shallow OLs if the interaction strength approaches the TonksGirardeau limit. In deep OLs we find quantitative agreement with density matrix renormalization group calculations for the Hubbard model. The spatial decay of the antiferromagnetic correlations is consistent with quasi long-range order even in shallow OLs, in agreement with previous theories for the half-filled Hubbard model.Making unbiased predictions for the properties of strongly correlated Fermi systems is one of the major challenges in quantum physics research. One dimensional systems play a central role in this context since, on the one hand, correlations effects are more pronounced in low dimensions and, on the other hand, exact results have been derived in a few relevant cases [1]. Two such cases are the homogeneous Fermi gas, whose exact ground-state energy was first determined by Yang [2] via the Bethe Anstatz technique, and the single-band Hubbard model, whose solution was provided by Lieb and Wu [3]. These two paradigmatic models describe two opposite limits of realistic physical systems, which in general are neither perfectly homogeneous nor devoid of interband couplings. In the absence of exact analytical theories for the more realistic intermediate regime, developing unbiased computational techniques is of outmost importance. The experiments performed with ultracold atoms trapped in optical lattices (OLs) have emerged as the ideal playground to investigate quantum many-body phenomena in periodic potentials [4]. The intensity of the external periodic field can be easily varied by tuning a laser power, and also the interaction strength can by tuned exploiting Feshbach resonances [5]. This has recently allowed the remarkable observation of antiferromagnetic correlations in a controlled experimental setup, both in two and in one dimension [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. The bulk of early research activity on OL systems focussed on deep OLs and weak interactions, where single-band tight-binding models are adequate [13]. Away from this regime multi-band processes come into play, and the effect of the independent tuning of the OL intensity and the in...