The first hotels on the Romagna Riviera – and in Rimini in particular – emerged as a natural evolution of the seaside bathing phenomenon, which began in 1843 with the opening of the ‘Stabilimento privilegiato dei Bagni Marittimi’ (Privileged Seaside Bathing Establishment) on the initiative of the Counts Baldini and the lawyer Claudio Tintori.
This establishment, which at the time was reserved for an aristocratic clientele who visited the seaside for its therapeutic benefits, marks the beginning of the history of Italian and European seaside hospitality.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, Rimini became a fashionable destination for the nobility, who also began to build their summer residences and holiday homes near Marina Centro, around the newly opened Grand Hotel and elegant seaside establishments such as the Kursaal (opened in 1873).
The focus is gradually shifting from therapeutic tourism to social and leisure tourism.
The first family-run holiday cottages are opening at the beginning of the 20th century, when the town sees an increasing number of holidaymakers.
A prime example is the Ricchi family, who in 1934 turned their home into one of Rimini’s first guesthouses, thereby establishing a tradition of warm, family-style hospitality that continues to this day.
At the same time, other Art Nouveau villas and the first hotels They are springing up all along the seafront, thanks in part to the development of infrastructure such as the Bologna–Ancona railway line and the Rimini–Riccione coastal tramway.
In the post-war period, particularly from the 1950s and 1960s onwards, there was a veritable boom in mass tourism: many families in Rimini turned their homes into hotels or guesthouses, enhancing the Riviera’s reputation as a tourist destination.
This development gives rise to that unique model of family-style hospitality, which emphasises the direct and warm relationship between hoteliers and guests, becoming the hallmark of the beach holidays in Rimini .
In summary:
1843: The first seaside resort for the aristocracy; the birth of seaside tourism
Late 19th century–early 20th century: Villas, small holiday homes and the first hotels (such as the Grand Hotel) were built; the seaside resort began to develop
The 1930s: Family homes are transformed into family-run guesthouses
Post-Second World War: Boom in mass tourism, exponential growth in the hotel sector
Thus, the history of hospitality in Rimini and on the Romagna Riviera stems from the combination of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and the warm welcome typical of the Romagna region, which has transformed an agricultural area into the European capital of seaside holidays.
The emergence of the colonies
Holiday camps in Rimini and Romagna first appeared in the late 19th century and developed throughout the 20th century, with their role evolving over time.
Initially, these facilities were known as ‘marine hospices’ and were established primarily for therapeutic reasons: positivist medicine regarded the sun and the sea as beneficial to children’s health, particularly in combating diseases such as tuberculosis.
As early as 1907, a sanatorium was opened in Rimini for poor children from Como suffering from tuberculosis
Over time, the therapeutic function gave way to a more social and educational focus. From 1928, with the involvement of the Red Cross and the National Organisation for Maternity and Childhood, the summer camps became places where children could build up their strength through play and socialising during the summer. These facilities enabled children from less well-off families to spend a holiday by the sea.
The real boom in summer camps took place during the twenty years of Fascist rule: the Fascist regime saw summer camps as a powerful tool for education, social welfare and the ideological indoctrination of young people.
Large children’s homes were built – some with a capacity to accommodate over a thousand children – on the initiative of public bodies, the National Fascist Party, industrial firms and paramilitary organisations such as the Opera Nazionale Balilla.
Over the years, these summer camps became symbolic institutions, characterised by strict discipline, aimed both at physical conditioning and at instilling the regime’s values.
After the Second World War, the holiday camps continued to operate for a few more decades as social holiday facilities, but with the boom in mass tourism in the 1950s and 1960s, many were abandoned or converted to other uses.
In summary, the holiday camps on the Romagna Riviera:
They were established as seaside sanatoriums for therapeutic purposes (late 19th century–early 20th century).
Since 1928, they have developed into social and educational facilities open to children from less well-off families.
They reached their peak during the Fascist era, serving as mass instruments for educating and strengthening the youth and spreading the ideology.
From the post-Second World War period onwards, they became a symbol of social change and mass tourism, only to be gradually abandoned or repurposed in the post-war years.
This story recounts not only the evolution of the summer holidays on the Riviera, but also a significant Italian social and cultural phenomenon.
