Say ‘Rimini’ and you immediately think of the sea, of friends and of laughter. Great memories and wonderful images, right? Yet, do you know that this city of a thousand souls has featured in films more often in winter than in summer? Its charm is truly timeless. Rimini, or Ariminum for the ancient Romans, was an important crossroads between the Via Flaminia and the Via Emilia. Hence, it still boasts many prestigious monuments dating back almost 2,000 years, like the Arch of Augustus, Tiberius’ Bridge and the Surgeon’s Domus, part of the visit to the Municipal Museum. During the Renaissance, it was the capital of the Malatesta Seignory. As well as the verses of the Divine Comedy narrating the forbidden love between Paolo and Francesca, artefacts from this era of splendour include Sismondo Castle and Malatesta Temple, with a façade designed by Leon Battista Alberti. Well worth visiting, is Amintore Galli Theatre which, after 75 years, is once again bringing music to the heart of Rimini. Fellini and the city As we await inauguration of the new Fellini Museum, due to open to the public in late 2020, it will be possible to visit sites dear to the maestro and experience first-hand some of the emotions narrated by the Academy Award-winning director in his films. Begin at the emblem of Fellini’s Rimini, the Grand Hotel, where you can even sleep in the Fellini Suite, his favourite. Cavour and Tre Martiri Squares feature in Amarcord, recently-restored Fulgor Cinema is the one that relives in Roma and again in Amarcord and the beach with its huts is described in City of Women. The romantic quarter of San Giuliano will amaze with its murals dedicated to his films. Finally, those wishing to pay homage to the director can visit his grave (where he is buried with his inseparable wife, Giulietta Masina) near the entrance to Rimini Monumental Cemetery. Fellini never shot a single frame in Rimini (he moved to Rome in 1939 and shot nearly all his films there in Cinecittà), yet his images are full to the brim of Rimini. He used to say “Rimini is a dimension of the memory”. That memory and that spirit are still alive today. For info: www.riminiturismo.it
