Rimini

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Rimini

Tiberius Bridge


Our destination after leaving Trieste was Rimini, a seaside town with a wonderful historic centre but the drive of  almost 5 hours was not without incident.I wasn’t driving fast enough and was abused and honked at, fists shaken  and the middle  finger raised as we made our steady way .

Our  hotel was near the seafront, teaming with holiday makers and rather too busy for my liking; Victor Harbour on steroids. The beach, when one eventually arrives after navigating lie lows and umbrellas, is lovely and the sea warm, but the heart of the place is the ancient town.


Before umbrella set up in the morning.

Little dog exclosures for hire on the beach.


A delightful 2k greenway park, suitable for both cyclists and pedestrians connects the beach with the centre, and we set off into town, first to the Arch of Augustus a magnificent Roman gate from  27 BC that celebrates Augustus’s victory over Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium.

Arch of Augustus.


Off then  to the Malatesta Temple, the site of a Roman temple re purposed as the Cathedral of Rimini  designed by noted renaissance architect, Leon Battista Alberti. Inside is Giotto’s superb Crucifix (1300) and a 1451 fresco by Piero della Francesca depicting the ruling Duke,  Sigismondo Malatesta genuflecting before St Sigismondo.

Temple of Malatesta

Fresco depicting Sigismondo Malatesta. The greyhounds are wonderful.

Interior with Giotto’s crucifix.


The centre is absolutely magnificent, the wide pedestrian friendly Main Street leads from the Augustan Arch to the ancient Roman bridge of Tiberius and there we discovered a bar with a view for an aperitif, after which a pretty ordinary dinner at a walk-in restaurant. Nighttime at the beachfront was far from relaxing and I needed earplugs to block out the noise of the party crowd, the revels continuing until dawn.




Ancient fish market.



Everywhere dogs inhabit the same spaces as humans; they are welcome in hotel rooms, bars, restaurants and sometimes galleries; the rules are far more relaxed and civilised . I did observe however that most male dogs are entire.

As an important Roman port on the Adriatic, Rimini has a number of archaeological sites, including the remains of a theatre and an important villa with beautiful floor mosaics, the house of a surgeon. In the adjacent museum are displayed the medical tools found at the site, many of which are recognisable as still in use today.

Roman medical tools

Floor mosaic

Coffin with skeleton at the House of the surgeon.


The home town of celebrated film maker Federico Fellini, Rimini’s 13C castle is now a museum dedicated to his life, work and influence. It is quite extraordinary and one of the highlights of our visit.

Sigismondo Castle/ Fellini Museum 


After our first dinner we chose fish restaurants or fish courses on the menu and found them all to be of excellent quality, likewise fruit and vegetables are of superb quality and inexpensive.


I could easily have spent a week in the historical centre of Rimini, with brief forays to the beach. The lively atmosphere of the city, its architecture and grace, art and natural beauty ensure a return visit.

Bridge of Tiberius.


 

 

 


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