San Marino and other interesting places near Rimini
- The ancient Republic of San Marino
- Gradara and its castle
- Santarcangelo di Romagna
- San Leo
- Ravenna
- Bologna
The ancient Republic of San Marino
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino or San Marino (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino or San Marino) is one of the smallest nations in the world.
Located in southern Europe, it is landlocked by Italy, and is one of the European microstates. San Marino is often claimed to be the oldest republic in the world.It was founded in 301 A.D. by Marinus, a Christian stonemason fleeing the religious persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian…
Gradara and its castle
Situated at 142 metres above sea level, with the Republic of San Marino, Rimini and Carpegna in the background, Gradara represents an extraordinary urban and architectural combination.
Legend has it that the castle was the scene of the famous and tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, caught in each other's arms and killed by Gianciotto, Francesca's husband.
This love story was immortalized by Dante in his Divine Comedy.
You can book guided tours of the village and castle of Gradara with illustration of the main historical and artistic heritage, the architecture with panoramic view from the top, frescoes, paintings, interior design and furnishings and of course a narration of the legend of Paolo and Francesca. Guided Tour only with prior reservation.
Santarcangelo di Romagna
Santarcangelo is a special town, perhaps due to its dual identity, both popular and noble, or perhaps due to its traditions, monuments, mysterious grottos, handicrafts or the temptation of its excellent cuisine.
The old town, enclosed within 14th century walls, has picturesque streets that clamber up the hillside and open onto tranquil squares.
Places, things, curiosities: The 14th century Malatesta Fortress, which contends with Gradara as being the site of the tragic story of Paolo and Francesca, the grottoes dug deep in the hillside on three, superimposed levels and the Marchi family shop, where traditional cloth is printed and a 17th century mangle is used to iron it.
San Leo
Few places preserve the atmosphere of San Leo, which is without doubt one of the most charming destinations and one of the most significant from a historical-artistic point of view, in the Montefeltro region.
Its extraordinary fortress is one of the most beautiful and most imposing in Italy, where the legend of Count Cagliostro fills the air.
The count was a mysterious character and he died imprisoned within the walls of the fortress. Also worth visiting are the religious buildings, which include the Romanesque-Lombard cathedral and the parish church (9th-11th centuries). Worth noting is the town’s layout and the fact that it can only be reached via a single gate.
Places, things, curiosities: buy Pecorino cheese, which is wrapped in walnut tree leaves and matured in ditches, ceramics and antique furniture.
Ravenna
Ravenna represents an extremely important star in the international cultural and tourist firmament.
The town was founded on several lagoon islands and was the last stronghold of the Western Roman Empire; it was the capital of the Barbarian kingdoms and the exarchate of Byzantium and the Italic Kingdom.
As the place where the Roman and Byzantine worlds met, Ravenna has a heritage of superb basilicas adorned with fine relief work and priceless mosaics.
Sublime creations such as (to name but a few) the church of San Vitale with its incomparable multicoloured mosaics portraying Giustiniano and the Empress Teodora, Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, which was built by Teodorico, Sant’Apollinare in Classe with its spectacular mosaics, and the impressive and unusually beautiful Mausoleum of Galla Placida, built in 425-26, give Ravenna an almost magical air.
Bologna
Bologna, which is situated on the via Emilia at the foot of the offshoots of the Apennines between the Reno and Sàvena Rivers, has an immense agricultural plain stretching before it.
Thanks to it geographical position at the very heart of the region, it is an extremely important traffic junction for the whole of Italy.
The city centre, which was once enclosed by the fourteenth century city walls, is a polygon that stretches along the old via Emilia. Although it has a medieval layout, it has a predominantly seventeenth and eighteenth century feel to it.
The buildings are constructed using red brick from the Po valley and there are numerous porticoes, which are handy as shelter from both the harsh sun and rain. Bologna is often referred to as “the learned one” or “the fat one”.
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