Along the Romagna riviera, the first things to see in Rimini that come to mind are its beaches, the nightlife and the summer buzz. Famous for being one of Italy’s best summer destinations, Rimini actually has a very ancient history, one that reaches far beyond the tourist boom of the 1960s.
What not everyone knows is that, within the city of Rimini, runs an extremely important art route that many people overlook.
But let’s start from the beginning!
Like many of Italy’s most important cities, the history of Rimini goes back to Roman times: the Romans founded the colony of Ariminum here in 268 BC.
Ariminum, this was the ancient name of Rimini, soon became an important trading hub thanks to its privileged position, so much so that it was linked to Rome by the Via Flaminia. From the Roman age, Rimini preserves wonderful remains such as the Arch of Augustus and the Tiberius Bridge, but also the ruins of an amphitheatre and the famous Domus del Chirurgo (the Surgeon’s House), where you’ll find beautiful mosaics and the most important collection of ancient surgical instruments in the world.
I bet you didn’t expect all these things to see in Rimini… and it doesn’t end here!
The events of history gradually transformed the city: Byzantines, Lombards, Venetians and the Malatesta family all contributed to the evolution of Rimini, making it an increasingly important centre on the Adriatic.
Have I sparked your curiosity, at least a little?
If you fancy discovering what to see in Rimini in 1 day, below you’ll find my list, based on my very own experience in the city.
Off we go.
The Arch of Augustus
If you’re about to visit Rimini in 1 day, the first thing to see is the beautiful Arch of Augustus. Don’t be distracted by the battlements on the upper part of the monument, because they’re a medieval addition: this arch is Roman, and it was built with a precise meaning.
The Arch of Augustus in Rimini dates to 27 BC and was dedicated to the emperor by the Roman Senate. The monument marked the end of the Via Flaminia, which linked Rimini to Rome, and was one of the gates of ancient Ariminum. It is the oldest surviving Roman arch, built in Istrian stone.
What’s so special about it?
Standing at its feet, you’ll notice that the central part, the arch itself, is so wide that it would have been impossible to fit a gate.
No, it wasn’t a mistake by the builders.
The choice served to celebrate the peaceful policy of Augustus, for whom cities, even if surrounded by walls, could keep their gates open with no fear of outside attacks. It was also a symbolic way of saying that peace had finally come after years of civil war.
The clipei (the round medallions) you can see at the top represent four deities: Jupiter, king of the gods, Apollo god of the sun and the arts, Neptune god of the sea, and Minerva. The deities weren’t chosen at random: they had a propaganda value, symbolising at the same time the greatness of Rome and the power of its emperor.
Among the things to see in Rimini, I would start right here.
What to see in Rimini: the Tiberius Bridge
After visiting the Arch of Augustus, one of the things to see in Rimini is the unmissable Tiberius Bridge.
This structure was particularly important for city traffic, because it was the only bridge crossing the river Marecchia before its course was diverted. Work began under Augustus but was completed by the emperor Tiberius, after whom it is named.
The special feature of the Rimini bridge lies in its five great arches, growing in size as you approach the central one. Definitely an attraction you can’t miss if you want to visit Rimini in 1 day!
But there’s more. Would you like to hear the legend of the Tiberius Bridge in Rimini?
Legend has it that it’s one of the famous “devil’s bridges”: the master builder, unable to finish the bridge, asked the devil for help, and the devil built it in exchange for the soul of the first to cross it. When the work was done, the repentant and desperate builder turned to Saint Julian, who came up with the trick of sending a donkey or a dog across first (the story varies from version to version).
The devil, annoyed and defeated, took the animal’s soul and, flying off the bridge, left his footprints in the marble, still visible today with a little imagination.
A more recent story about the Tiberius Bridge in Rimini, this one true, tells how the bridge was mined by the Germans during the Second World War. To slow the Allied advance, the Nazis tried several times to blow it up but, luckily, the explosives never detonated.
The charges were found only thirteen years later, during resurfacing work on the bridge.
Sadly, many Italian bridges were mined and destroyed by the Germans during their retreat: one of them is the bridge of Civita di Bagnoregio, did you know?
The Malatesta Temple
The Malatesta Temple is one of the most important historic attractions in Rimini, and also the city’s cathedral.
Standing before it, you’ll notice that the façade is unfinished: the works, in fact, were never completed.
So why is it so important?
Let me explain right away.
The Malatesta Temple in Rimini rises over earlier places of worship, and it was Sigismondo Malatesta, lord of the city at the time, who ordered its construction. The idea was to create a new setting to house his tomb and those of his descendants. The forms chosen by the architect Leon Battista Alberti, who took inspiration from the Arch of Augustus for the front, make it one of the most emblematic buildings of the Italian Renaissance, remarkably harmonious and regular. Artists such as Agostino di Duccio, Matteo de’ Pasti and Piero della Francesca, author of the fresco with Sigismondo in prayer, worked on the decoration.
Despite its beauty, this building hasn’t been particularly lucky over the centuries.
Already at the time of its construction, around 1450, the pope condemned the work, calling it full of pagan elements in reference to the interior decoration, and excommunicated Malatesta. Work stopped, however, not because of the excommunication but because of Rimini’s defeat against Federico da Montefeltro and the economic crisis that followed.
Finally, during the Second World War, Rimini was heavily bombed and the Malatesta Temple too suffered very serious damage. After the reconstruction, it was decided to place here one of the finest crucifixes by Giotto, painted during his stay in Rimini between 1308 and 1312 and today displayed on the main altar.
I warmly recommend it among the things to see in Rimini.
Seeing the historic centre of Rimini: between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
In the historic centre of Rimini you can admire some splendid medieval palaces: on Piazza Cavour stand the Palazzo dell’Arengo, begun in 1204, and the Gothic Palazzo del Podestà, built around 1330.
In the same square there’s also the Fontana della Pigna (the Pinecone Fountain), since Roman times the only source of drinking water in the city. Its present form, which closely recalls the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia, was created in 1543 by Giovanni da Carrara.
Here’s a curiosity!
If you look closely at the Fontana della Pigna in Rimini, you’ll find some strange words carved into it. They are a phrase spoken by Leonardo da Vinci when he saw it, before it was restored:
A harmony is made with the various falls of water, as you saw at the fountain of Rimini, as you saw on 8 August 1502.
Among the things to see in Rimini, on Piazza Ferrari in particular, is the beautiful Domus del Chirurgo (the Surgeon’s House).
As I was saying, it takes its name from the vast collection of ancient surgical instruments found inside. This Roman domus probably belonged to a doctor and even had a consulting room and mosaics of rare beauty.
To preserve the archaeological excavations, the Surgeon’s House in Rimini has been enclosed within a glass structure that shelters it from the weather. You visit it with the ticket for the Museo della Città (City Museum), which includes it: it costs 7 € (5 € reduced), with free entry on the first Sunday of the month and for under-18s.
If you find yourself in Rimini, don’t miss this astonishing dive into the past.
The old fish market
Also overlooking Piazza Cavour is the old fish market of Rimini, an elegant covered market built in 1747 by the architect Giovan Francesco Buonamici. Entering through a beautifully decorated arch, you can stroll among the old stone counters where the city’s fish market was once held.
Today the fish market of Rimini has become the favourite spot for students to meet up and have a drink on Saturday nights: the area is full of lovely local street-food places, restaurants and pubs.
If you want to eat something typical or simply rest after a long walk, this is the place for you.
Visiting the Borgo San Giuliano
As the last thing to see in Rimini, but certainly not the least, I suggest a walk through the Borgo San Giuliano.
This part of the city lies very close to the Tiberius Bridge and is almost a place of pilgrimage for all lovers of Federico Fellini’s films. The director wasn’t born here (he came into the world on via Dardanelli, near the station), but it’s in Rimini that he rests, and the alleys of the borgo are a tribute to his cinema.
When you reach the Borgo San Giuliano in Rimini you won’t even feel like you’re in a city: here the urban chaos gives way to a particularly relaxed, quiet atmosphere, with very few cars crossing the lanes covered in murals.
The murals are the real stars of the Borgo San Giuliano.
The theme is, of course, Fellini’s films, with walls in pastel colours and figures taken from scenes in his movies. If you love street art, I’m more than sure you’ll fall for this small but delightful district, its distinctive colours and its timeless atmosphere.
Finally, don’t forget to visit the church of San Giuliano Martire: inside it holds a beautiful altarpiece by Paolo Veronese depicting the saint’s martyrdom.
If you’d like to dig deeper and discover everything about this district, I recommend taking the guided tour of the Borgo San Giuliano with a local guide, who’ll show you the finest murals and their story.
What to see near Rimini
I’ve just told you what to see in Rimini so you don’t stop at the nightlife, but this part of Romagna offers plenty more: the equipped beaches of the Romagna riviera await you, as do the treasures of Ravenna, the city of mosaics, or typical little towns such as Santarcangelo di Romagna, with its tufa caves.
Would you rather stay on the coast? Just to the north you’ll find Cesenatico, with its harbour canal designed by Leonardo da Vinci; about twenty minutes to the south, the quieter Cattolica, with clean water and less crowded beaches than the Rimini coast.
In short, on the Romagna riviera there’s no risk of getting bored.
And you, are you drawn more to Rimini’s Roman soul or to the charm of Fellini’s district?
