Rimini, history art and curiosities

The History of Rimini: The Early Days

The earliest evidence of human settlement in the Rimini area is found on the hill of Covignano, where there is a spring and a protective hilltop position; this is why the ancestors of the people of Rimini settled there, having probably arrived from Tuscany by following the course of the River Marecchia.

Over the centuries, the city has undergone numerous changes, culminating in the Second World War, which resulted in as much as 80% of the city being destroyed – one of the highest percentages in Italy.

 Rimini City Museum

Rimini’s museum collections are housed in the 18th-century Jesuit college, an imposing building designed by Alfonso Torreggiani (1750).

Inside, the museum comprises over 40 rooms and around 1,500 works, and visitors can admire the Roman Lapidary on display in the courtyard, as well as the many artefacts from imperial Rimini dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, including the splendid mosaics from the domus at Palazzo Diotallevi and the spectacular collection of surgical instruments from the domus in Piazza Ferrari.

On the upper floors is the Art Gallery, which features an exhibition covering the 11th to the 20th centuries. In the medieval section and that dedicated to Malatesta humanism, of particular note are the fresco depicting the Last Judgement, from the church of Sant’Agostino, and the Crucifix by Giovanni da Rimini (first half of the 14th century).

The museum therefore showcases the history of the city of Rimini; as you explore the historical and artistic sections, you will discover the treasures of the 14th-century Rimini School, the various masterpieces from the Malatesta era, still lifes, 16th-century works and the splendid spaces dedicated to the designs of Renato Zavagli, known as Renè Gruau.

For information on admission and tickets, call 0541 21482. Since 2007, visitors have been able to explore the excavations in Piazza Ferrari, right next to the museum, which have unearthed the Surgeon’s House – akin to a miniature Pompeii re-emerging from beneath the ground after many years, and situated right in the heart of the city. Inside the Domus, there are colourful mosaics, often intact, and the most extensive collection of surgical instruments from the Roman world.