Rimini

Rimini is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, heavily dependent upon fishing and sea-related industries. It also happens to be the prime resort on the Adriatic, drawing crowds from all over. However it also has a rich history dating back to Roman times, which we viewed with our friends Marco and Daniela and their two toddlers. (They live in Rimini.)

This is a bridge called the Ponte Tiberio, built by the Emperor Tiberius in the year 21 AD. It is made of Istrian limestone and thus has weathered amazingly well.


Dad talking with Marco before stopping for a coffee.


A bronze statue of Paul V in Piazza Cavour.


The fontana della pigna (Pinecone Fountain) also in Piazza Cavour. We all stopped to get a drink, so you can see mom, Alex, Andrew, and Daniela with her kidlet Leonardo.


This is part of an ancient fish market where vendors brought their fresh catch to sell to the townspeople. You can see the gutters in the floor to carry away offal and dirty water. Today it's used as a fresh flower market.


A shot of the gang walking around the piazza.


This monument marks the spot where Julius Caesar made camp with his army before crossing the Rubicon river and thus beginning his conquest of Rome. The river's course has long since been altered thanks to flooding and man-made changes.


This tiny chapel marks the spot where St. Anthony of Padua performed his famous miracle of the Eucharist where a donkey knelt down in front of the consecrated host, even though said donkey had been starved for days and his non-believing owner was holding a bucket of food just a few feet away.


The interior of the very simple chapel, complete with the marble pillar on which St. Anthony stood.


This is the duomo of Rimini. It is a 15th century church built by the former Lord of Rimini, Sigismondo Malatesta. Sigismondo was the equivalent of the Medici family, ruler of Rimini, military leader, and not exactly pious.


Because of the lack of strong Catholic faith possessed by Sigismondo (he intended the cathedral to be as much a mausoleum for himself and his wife as a church) there were no religious symbols or motifs built into the church. Everything was of a distinctly pagan or humanistic theme, including the signs of the zodiac, etc. It's a beautiful church though. This funerary monument was faced entirely in lapiz lazuli.


A picture showing two signs of the zodiac that I mentioned earlier.


This crucifix was added later. It was painted by Giotto.


Sigismondo's personal symbol, which combines the initials of his name with his wife's (Isotta). To me, it looked like a dollar sign. ($)


And a statue of the great Sigismondo himself.


Leaving the church we came across this blue Maserati pulling into a gated residence. Ayeee yiiyiy!!!


The last thing we saw as we headed out of town was this arch, built by the Roman consul Flaminius in 27 BC, in honor of Augustus. The brick addition was added during the Middle Ages.