Starting from the XII century, the
powerful Malatesta Family conquered large portions of territory which extended between the valley of the river Marecchia and Rimini’s coastline. The powerful members of this family, who came from Verucchio or Pennabilli (documents provide ambiguous explanations with respect to their geographical origins), became citizens of Rimini at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Some of them left indelible signs of their passage; in his
Divine Comedy, Dante quotes
Mastin Vecchio, the lord of Verucchio, and Gianciotto and Paolo, the bloody husband and lover of Francesca respectively, who are the main characters of the V canto of the Inferno (Hell).
In the XIII and XIV centuries, the Malatesta family became the most powerful dynasty of the city of Rimini and started commissioning the building of impressive castles and bulwarks. The Municipal Palaces, the Church of St. John the Evangelist, which is also known as the
Church of the Augustinian Friars and is flanked by an impressive Gothic bell tower and embellished by several frescos by acclaimed artists of the school of Rimini of the fourteenth century, and a large portion of the ancient cathedral of Santa Colomba date back to that period.
The remains of the first residence of the Malatesta Family, which was built in the thirteenth century, have been incorporated in the impressive structure of
Castel Sismondo, whose building was commissioned by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in the fifteenth century. The ambitious project, which was coordinated by Malatesta himself, resulted in the creation of an outstanding structure gathering an imposing castle and impressive defensive bulwarks. Only small portions of the original building, which was characterized by majestic square towers and imposing walls, can be visited by the general public.
Sigismondo Pandolfo was the most important patron of the arts of the city of Rimini and gathered important poets, musicians, artists, architects and sculptors who joined their efforts in order to create precious symbols and landmarks. Several rooms of the castle are now the venue for interesting
cultural events and art exhibitions which attract large numbers of both cultural tourists and those interested in spending pleasant holidays along the Riviera Romagnola.
Starting from 1450, acclaimed artists and architects joined their efforts in order to realize the ambitious project conceived by their lord, the building of the majestic
Malatesta Temple. The pre-existent fourteenth-century sacred building, which was named after Saint Francis and was decorated by Giotto, was replaced by a monumental construction which drew inspiration from traditional architectural patterns from Rome and was aimed at celebrating Man and Intellectual Nobility.
Leon Battista Alberti designed the outer structure, while Matteo de’ Pasti and the sculptor Agostino di Duccio were recruited to realized the inner decorations. Inside are a precious fresco by Piero della Francesca and a crucifix by Giotto, precious artworks which were recovered from the previous structure. Bas-reliefs, sculptures and decorations reproduce the most important pagan symbols of power, as well as Roman Gods, Zodiac signs and allegories which were used to give the name and dynasty of the powerful Malatesta family utmost echo.
The Tiberius Bridge, which was commissioned by Augustus and subsequently completed by his successor, is situated opposite the Arch of Augustus and dominates the street which was once elected Decumanus Maximus (the current Corso d’Augusto). This is the starting point of the long Via Aemilia, which once was one of the most important commercial streets of the empire and is now one of the city’s major arterial routes. 
