Most people know of Rimini as a great place to have fun. In reality, there are all sorts of surprises inland, beyond the sun, the sea, and the folly. The outlying territory of the former domininions of the Malatesta family is rich in history and beautiful nature, typical crafts, and the particular traditions of the local cuisine.
We certainly don't claim to describe it all here. But we hope you will want to make Rimini your city, too, the very heart of your university career.
THE FAMILY SIGNORIA
Malatesta Tour
Malatesta Tour
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Signoria (Seignory) of the Malatesta family - which left its mark on Italian history along with other important families of the time, including the Medici, D'Este, Gonzaga, Borgia, and Montefeltro families - was one of the most important seignories in Italy.
The land that once belonged to the them is delimited by two valleys, the Valle del Marecchia or Valmarecchia and the Valle del Conca or Valconca. In between the two lies the smaller valley of the little Marano River.
You can find out more about the many attractions of the area by visiting the website http://www.signoriadeimalatesta.it/ (descriptions in English and Italian)
SOME IMPORTANT EVENTS
The beach is still, of course, what Rimini is famous for, and something exciting is always happening on the city's beaches! The events listed below are among the most important. For further information contact the IAT Tourist Office tel. 0541 56902 .
Paganello
In Rimini, Easter time means time forPaganello, the city's international frisbee event, which attracts athletes from 27 countries and 5 continents to Europe's most famous beach. The Paganello World Beach Ultimate Cup, ultimate frisbee's one of a kind international championship competition, is a spectacular sporting event.
But Paganello isn't just about sport, endurance, and competition. Live jazz concerts, funky competitions, entertainment for children, and a thousand other events are organized to coincide with the championship. The beach at Rimini turns into The City of Fun. For information, contact the IAT Tourist Office or visit the Pagnanello website www.paganello.com.
Gradisca...l'estate / "Enjoy the Summer" (June)
Gradisca, Rimini's unforgettable 100-day long summer festival, begins punctually with the summer solstice.
Gradisca features the longest tables immaginable - fifteen kilometers of temptation set up along the beach - as well as parties, dances, drinks, and fireworks. Two hundred thousand people enjoy the festivities that stretch along the shore from Torre Pedrera to Miramare.
For information: IAT Tourist Office Tel. 0541 56902
La Fogheraccia (March)
In Romagna, the ritual of the fogheraccie (bonfires) takes place each year on the night of March 18, the eve of the feast day dedicated to Saint Joseph.
For weeks in advance, people accumulate branches pruned from trees at the beginning of the spring, old pieces of furniture they want to get rid of, and other bits of wood.
As early as 7:00 pm on the night of the fogheraccie you can see the fires all over the city, enormous and stunning, a source of pride and the basis for friendly challenges between neighbors, parishes, and entire neighborhoods. The sky turns pink and the odor of wood smoke makes natives of Romagna area think back to the foghereccia festivals of their childhood.
The fogheraccia, the burning of the old to make space for the new, symbolizes the transformation of spring and the end of the cold foggy winter. After the fogheraccia, people wake up from their winter hibernation and look forward to the arrival of summer as the pace of life starts to pick up again.
The port of Rimini boasts one of the largest fogheracce in Romagna.
The Wellbeing Beach (June - August )
Wellness on the Beach - Summer Festival
This initiative takes place in several bathing establishments (Bagni) where everybody can experiment wellbeing and absolute relax from dawn to dusk. Meetings, tastings, lectures on health, trips by boat and trips by bus to the castles and villages in Rimini country-side will characterized this new edition.
More information at the website www.riminibenessere.com.
The Pink Night (On the first Saturday of July)
Rimini and surrounding
The forty-kilometres-long Riviera will be celebrating this night for the fourth consecutive year. The night on the beach promenade will take a pink colouring. The shops and the museums will be open all through the night and you'll be offered concert, shows and entertainments everywhere until the daybreak. The Pink Night is a night for meeting, feeling and having a good time. At midnight, pink fireworks along the coast from Bellaria to Cattolica will enlighten the sky. www.lanotterosa.it
Strolling in the Past (16th June - 15th September 2009)
Rimini historical centre
From June to mid-September, every Tuesday the appointment with the guided tour in the historical centre of Rimini gives once again the opportunity to visit the most interesting monuments of the town, representing different historical ages: Roman and Medieval, Renaissance and Modern. On request it is possible to conclude the tour visiting the Museo della Città (Town Museum), where the local historic and artistic heritage is kept and the recently open "Surgeon's House".
Info: tel. +39 0541704421/ 426