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| Tiberius Bridge |  | | As the inscription on the internal parapets recalls, work on the bridge over the Marecchia River, then known as Ariminus, began under the Emperor Augustus in 14 A.D. and was completed under Tiberius in 21 A.D. The bridge still connects the city centre to Borgo San Giuliano and leads to the consular roads Via Emilia and Via Popilia that lead north. Built in Istria stone, the bridge consists of five arches that rest on massive pillars with breakwater spurs set at an oblique angle with respect to the bridge's axis in order to follow the current. |
| The Arch of Augustus |  | | As its inscription declares, the arch was built in 27 B.C. as an honorary gate to celebrate Octavian Augustus. It once formed part of the stone-built city walls, the remains of which are still visible, but is now isolated because the adjacent structures were demolished in the 1930’s.
The structure, which was originally topped by a parapet bearing a statue of the Emperor, is richly decorated with religious and political references. In fact, the divinities represented in the round shields (Jupiter, Apollo, Neptune and Rome) recall the grandeur of Rome and of Augustus himself. |
| The Malatesta Temple |  | | This is considered one of the most honourable most works of the Renaissance. In reality the works for the construction of this amazing monument were based on the preceding structure of the 14th century Romanesque-Gothic church of San Francesco. Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta began the work in 1449: the architectural part was entrusted to Matteo de' Pasti, the sculpture was the domain of Agostino di Duccio and the external architecture was the work of Leon Battistia Alberti.The architect planned a new concept in marble recladding, getting rid of all Gothic design and each decorative accent, and drawing on inspiration from the Roman arch of Augustus instead. |
| The New Harbour |  | | Described as "one of the finest and most modern in the Mediterranean" and certainly not lacking in appeal, Rimini Marina (inaugurated in 2002) lies to the left of the port entrance. It covers an area of 100.000 mq and has 622 moorings. Its most striking element is an elevated walkway 1300 metres long leading to a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the sea. It is a place open to everybody and is a venue for many events. |
| The Surgeon's Domus |  | | After 2000 years, the archaeological site of the Surgeon’s Domus opens to the public. A little Pompei in the city centre, which has already become famous in the world owing to its unique archaeological finds. Here archaeologists have found one of the richest surgical and pharmaceutical equipment of the ancient Roman times, now kept in the nearby Museo della Città. Further excavations have also taken to light another part of the ancient Ariminum, that of the domus dating back to the late Imperial period (V - VI century A.D.) with its polychromatic mosaics and that of the late Medieval remains.
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| Sigismondo Castle |  | | Little remains of the castle built by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in 1437; today's visitor will see only a small part of the great fortification on the Piazza Malatesta, but the construction still has its large square towers and solid walls. The original plans were that the castle should look like a fort dominated by a large keep and surrounded by a deep dyke with drawbridges. It served as a prison under the rule of the papacy, then again during the bombardments of the last war. |
| The Boroughs |  | | Rimini’s pride and tradition draw lifeblood from its boroughs Borgo San Giuliano, Borgo Sant’Andrea, Borgo San Giovanni and Borgo Marina (the latter sat on the right of the port but was destroyed during the last world war).
The 'spirit' that characterises each of Rimini’s boroughs forms the basis of the celebrations that are held in the respective districts. These festivities began as simple neighbourhood get-togethers but over the years they have become truly unmissable events. |
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