In Rimini, the city of Francesca, the heroine of eternal love celebrated by Dante, Valentine's Day is celebrated with various initiatives under the name of art and romance.
So, what better excuse for an unexpected lovers' weekend in Rimini to discover the city of Paolo and Francesca or Sigismondo and Isotta, among the art jewels of its historic centre, the Municipal Museums, good food and the winter sea?
Even in winter, Rimini is indeed an city full of atmosphere, offering romantic strolls along the seashore or in the historic centre among the signs of the past, with itineraries to discover the Roman period, such as the Tiberius Bridge or the Arch of Augustus, a source of inspiration for Renaissance architecture, such as the Malatesta Temple or Castel Sismondo, now home to the Fellini Museum.
On the occasion of Lovers' Day, the Municipal Museums of Rimini are offering a 2-for-1 discounted admission to all people who come as a couple to the ticket office on Friday 14 February. An opportunity to begin the long weekend of lovers with a visit to the Fellini Museum, the largest museum in the world dedicated to a film director, which welcomes and promotes the vastness of Fellini's work, in a ‘narrative’ itinerary involving Castel Sismondo, Palazzo del Fulgor and the urban area of Piazza Malatesta, with the Bosco dei nomi (Wood of Names) and the large mirror of water. (info: www.fellinimuseum.it )
The City Museum is also a mine of wonders that tell the story of Rimini, from the archaeological section with the ancient Domus, such as the Surgeon's Domus with its exceptional archaeological site offering a glimpse of 2000 years of history, to the twentieth century, passing through the seventeenth century in Romagna in the paintings of Cagnacci, Centino and Guercino. It is also an opportunity to admire the newly renovated exhibition rooms from the early Middle Ages to the fifteenth century and experience the new narrative itinerary to rediscover treasures such as the sculptures from the disappeared early Christian and mediaeval churches, the precious frescoes and panels from the fourteenth century in Rimini, and the masterpieces of the fifteenth century such as the Malatesta medals by Matteo de' Pasti, the extraordinary Pietà by Giovanni Bellini and the large panel by Ghirlandaio. (info: www.museicomunalirimini.it)
To complete the day, on 14 February the Caffè del Grifone, inside the Teatro Galli, opens its doors and awaits you for a romantic aperitif, offering a suggestive break in one of the city's symbolic locations. From 6 p.m., with admission allowed until 7 p.m., guests can enjoy a pre-dinner drink in an elegant setting steeped in history, in an intimate and refined atmosphere. For info: www.visitrimini.com/esperienze/238978-aperitivo-al-teatro-galli
But the initiatives dedicated to love also continue at the weekend.
Saturday 15 February VisitRimini proposes the tour ‘Love and Power: Sigismondo and Isotta’, which recounts the historical and amorous vicissitudes of Rimini's symbolic couple, Isotta degli Atti and Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, condottiere and Lord of Rimini from 1417 to 1468. The story of their love will be narrated through the gestures of this condottiere and patron, a cultured intellectual and man of arms and passions, who despite his fame as an unscrupulous man, knew how to love his Isotta in an extraordinary way, making her immortal in the works he erected and in literature.
Meeting point at 3.30 p.m. at the Visitor Centre, Corso d'Augusto 235. Info and booking: www.visitrimini.com/esperienze/311460-rimini-city-tour-amore-e-potere-sigismondo-e-isotta/
Finally, on Sunday 16 February, Discover Rimini will accompany us on a new guided tour, between the city and the museum, designed for the festival of lovers and dedicated to the telling of interesting love stories that occurred in past eras. Loves that inflamed historical figures and mythological figures, but also those that bound ordinary men and women. The itinerary starts from the Malatesta Temple, which houses the tombs of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta and Isotta degli Atti, linked by a love affair also sealed by poetic texts, and ends at the City Museum where love stories linked to the ancient world and later eras will be told, admiring paintings and sculptures displayed in the rooms. Curated by Michela Cesarini, art historian and licensed guide. The appointment is at the Malatestiono Temple in Via IV Novembre at 3.30 pm. To participate it is necessary to book by the previous day at 333.7352877 or at michela.cesarini@discoverrimini.it
Artistic and cultural itineraries can easily be combined with tasty stops at the city's restaurants to savour typical Romagna dishes, not forgetting the real piadina from Rimini. And for those who want to relax and regenerate, there is Rimini Terme, which offers a modern and avant-garde Spa, facing the sea, excellent for indulging in a sweet cuddle and recharging with seawater even in winter (info: www.riminiterme.com ).
A special place for the kiss on 14 February, the bench not far from the two-thousand-year-old Tiberius Bridge, in the ancient village of San Giuliano, amidst the low, colourful houses of the sailors and the multicoloured murals reminiscent of the dreamlike magic of master Fellini, to feel part of Rimini's history.
The city of eternal love proposes its role as a Wedding Destination.