Rimini

The origin of Rimini is very probably Greek. The ancient name of the city, Ariminum, is however Umbrian in derivation and Pausanias often mentions the great Umbrian king Arimno in his writings; ancient coins found in the city are evidence of the rule of this king. The area was later inhabited by the Celtic people the Senonian Gauls but in 268 BC the site was occupied by the Romans and a Latin colony was established on the borders of Umbria and Aemilium. The strategic and sea-based location of the city meant it grew in importance and was bestowed with facilities. The censor Flaminius opened the road named in his honour (the Via Flaminia), and later Marcus Aemilius Lepidus extended it to Piacenza following which it was renamed the Via Aemilia. The last consul, Popilius Lenate had a branch extended to Venice and the new section was named the Via Popilia.

In 50 BC, in Ariminum square, today known as Piazza Tre Martiri, Gaius Julius Caesar drew up his military forces after his famous crossing of the Rubicon for which he threw a dice. The rock he stood upon to address the troops can be seen in the Temple of St. Antony , another visitor to Rimini, who stopped in this area centuries later to preach to the local people. Emperor Augustus was also fond of Rimini and it was in his honour that the great triumpal arch known as Augustus Arch was raised in 27 AD. Emperor Tiberius later terminated construction of the bridge over the river Marecchia that Augustus had begun and now known as Tiberius Bridge.
When the capital of the Italic empire was transferred to Byzantium, Rimini remained part of the western empire and was the setting for disputes between the Goths and the Byzantines until the Exarchate of Ravenna was formed in 567 when Rimini was part of the Pentapolis.

After Rimini, had been raided by Saracens led by the famous Sabba, the city suffered centuries of terror, devastation and bloody sieges by Lombards, Franks, Normans and Swabians who were either for or against the Papacy. It was only with the rise to power of the Malatesta family that the city was returned to its ancient splendour.
The founder of the dynasty, whose nickname was Mala Testa, arrived in Rimini for the first time in 1216 and started the family more properly called by some the Malatesti who were to dominate the city for three centuries. Particularly famous members of the family were a lady, Battista Malatesta, who taught philosophy, and Domenico (called Novello) who founded the library in Cesena. The poet Dante recalled the manner in which Il Mastin Vecchio (The Old Mastiff) directed the struggle of the Guelph troops of Romagna in their support of the Pope against the forces of the Ghibellines who supported the Holy Roman Emperor.

The tragic love story of Francesca, daughter of Guido of Ravenna, occurred in 1285. She was married against her will to Gianciotto Malatesta but fell in love with his brother Paolo, an elegant and gentle knight. When their love was discovered, the husband had both put to death. Dante remembered this story in the fifth canto of Inferno, and Boccaccio and Petrarch also dedicated verses to the episode. The Malatesta family was forced by the Church to renounce much of their land and were obliged to submit to its will to have them back though in a much reduced form. Sigismondo Malatesta was the energetic and valiant general and governor that the Church appointed as Captain-General. For the spirit of his rule from 1437-68 he was considered as the prototype of the enlightened Italian Renaissance prince. He was responsible for construction of the famous Castel Sigismondo, built in 1446 and used as a prison until the early 19th century. Sigismondo’s most famous love was Isotta degli Atti to whom he dedicated the magnificent Malatesta Temple. He was accused of having had two wives killed in order to marry her. As a great patron of literature and the arts, his court welcomed the most famous men of learning of the period who were buried below the arches of the temple.