Rimini

Rimini: history & character

Rimini was founded by the Romans in 268 BC as Ariminum, a strategic hub where the Via Flaminia met the Via Emilia. From that era it preserves the Tiberius Bridge, completed around 21 AD and still in use, and the Arch of Augustus. In the 15th century, under Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, the architect Leon Battista Alberti reworked the church of San Francesco into the Tempio Malatestiano, an early-Renaissance masterpiece. In the 20th century Rimini became the seaside-tourism capital of the Adriatic Riviera and the birthplace of filmmaker Federico Fellini, whose world pervades the colourful Borgo San Giuliano. For the traveller with a dog, Rimini is a rare combination: a long sandy shore with a dedicated dog beach, a fenced off-leash park beside the Marecchia river, a flat and pedestrian Roman and Renaissance centre, and a broadly dog-friendly Romagna café culture.