RIMINI AND SAN MARINO

Nov. 9. 2024

Hotel Villa Italia, Rimini, Italy

 
Sally woke me at 6:00, this morning, to say goodbye. She had decided to take an earlier train back to Verona so that she could see a bit more of that beautiful city. I didn’t blame her.

My Delightful Bedroom in Ravenna

I couldn’t check into my hotel in Rimini until 14:00, so wanted to remain in the apartment until check-out time at 10:00. I lounged until 8:00, packed my bags, and made breakfast. I worked on my blog for a few minutes and then vacated the apartment at 10:00. I dragged my bag to the nearby train station and bought a ticket to Rimini. I had to wait for two hours for the next direct train. I didn’t want to make a bus connection with my suitcase.

The train ride took just over an hour. The train was nearly empty on a Saturday morning. The route followed the coast, stopping in seaside villages. Rimini appeared modern from the train tracks. We crossed a waterway and I saw boats in a marina. When we arrived, there was no elevator in the station. I got my bag down the stairs to the underpass, but a kind man carried it up the stairs for me. I could have managed it, eventually. I had mixed feelings about being pervceived as an old lady who needed help, but I had a sore foot and really appreciated the assistance.

Bike Ramps on the Stairs

It was a kilometer from the station to my hotel. I had to take another underpass to cross the railroad tracks, but this one had steep ramps in the center of the stairs for bicycles. I was able to roll my bag down the ramps and back up the other side. I walked through pretty treelined streets toward the beach. The Hotel Villa Italia was a few blocks inland. It was a small, basic hotel. I arrived close enough to 14:00 that they let me check in. I had booked a large, single room, but the hotel was not crowded and they gave me a family room that had both a queen-sized bed and a set of bunk beds. It was plain, but clean.

Street in Rimini

I ate the sandwich I had brought from Ravenna and then took a nap for about an hour before setting out to explore. I walked down to the avenue fronting the beach. Most of the bars and cafes were closed, but there were Christmas lights. It was a weird combination of deserted and festive. I cut through a hotel’s grounds to the boardwalk along the beach. The beach was lined with nearly deserted private beach clubs. At one of them, men were playing a game that appeared to be a cross between pickleball and beach volleyball. It was played on the sand with paddles. The net was higher than a pickleball net, but lower than a volleyball net.

Beach Pickleball?

I walked along the beach to the entrance to the harbor. The marina was located on the other side of the channel. It was smaller than the marina in Ravenna, but still sizeable. I turned and followed the channel towards the center of Rimini. Sailboats were moored along the channel all the way to the first bridge. Beyond that, small power boats lined the channel for another couple of blocks.

The Marina in Rimini

Sailboats on the Canal

Power Boats Past the Bridge in Rimini

I was headed for the Cathedral of Rimini, known as the Tempio Malatestiano after Sigismondo Malatesta who commissioned the fifteenth century renovations of an earlier church. Malatesta was reputedly one of the most evil and debauched men of his time. The church is little more than a monument to Malatesta which is why it is not referred to as the cathedral. The church is just off of the city’s main plaza. I had passed through the Piazza Cavour on my way there. People were gathering for a mass, so I quickly peeked into the church but didn’t have a chance to examine it closely.

The Tempio Malatestiano

Tempio Malatestiano Interior

The old section of Rimini was larger and more attractive than I had expected. There were quaint, winding shopping streets. I located a branch of the bank I needed and withdrew some cash. The return journey was shorter. Along the way, I passed the Domus del Chirurgo, the ruins of a Roman house that were enclosed and well lighted.

Piazza Cavour

Once I got back to the hotel, I rested for awhile and then started working on my blog. I wasn’t hungry enough to bother going out for dinner.

Domus del Chirurgo

Nov. 10, 2024
Hotel Villa Italia, Rimini, Italy

My mission for the day was to visit San Marino. After a cappuccino and a croissant at the Illy Caffe shop, I returned to the train station to catch my bus for San Marino. I had booked my tickets online and the process went very smoothly. The drive to San Marino from Rimini took about 50 minutes. I suspect that most of the tourists in Rimini at this time of year were there to visit San Marino, as Rimini is where the train and bus routes meet. Sam Marino is perched on top of Mount Titano and our route trended upward as we passed through the countryside. It was cold and very foggy.

Borgomaggiore Below

There is a cable car that runs from the town of Borgomaggiore at the foot of the mountain up to the citadel, but my bus delivered us to a parking lot high on the mountain. San Marino is Europe’s oldest republic, reputedly founded in the fourth century, although the oldest buildings date to the eleventh century.

View from the Bus Lot

Climbing Uo to the Citadel

I walked gradually uphill, past the mostly shuttered tourist shops and cafes. It was Sunday morning and many of the businesses operating in the off season opened later. I entered the citadel through the Porta San Francesco and switchbacked up the mountain past the archery range. Eventually, I arrived at the Palazzo Pubblico. By this time it was nearly 11:00 and mass was starting in a few minutes. I made a quick visit to the Basilica of Saint Marinus. The nineteenth century church was constructed on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. It was so cold that I considered staying for the mass. Instead, I continued my climb up to the first tower. The three towers of San Marino, combined with the walls and other fortifications provided the tiny republic with security for centuries.

Palazzo Pubblico

The Basilica of St. Marinus

St. Marinus Interior

First Tower from the Second

At the first tower, I purchased a combined ticket for all the state operated

Chapel of Santa Barbara

attractions in San Marino for the senior price of eight euros. I don’t know if I actually qualified for the senior discount because they didn’t ask me and it was only later that I discovered the adult price was actually nine euros. The first tower or Torre Guaita was originally constructed in the eleventh century and was modified and restored in later periods. It was sometimes used as a prison. The chapel of Santa Barbara is located within the walls.

Passo delle Streghe

There is an elevated walkway called the Passo delle Streghe (or witch’s step) that runs from the first tower to the second, but it was closed for repairs. I was forced to walk back down through the Porta della Fratta and then climb a steep hill to the second tower or Torre Cesta. This tower contained the Museum of Ancient Armaments. There were swords and armor, but the display seemed to concentrate on early firearms, of which they had a large selection. I climbed up the tower, through the museum to the battlements. There was a great view of the first tower from there and I stopped to take pictures. On a clear day, San Marino would afford a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside, probably all the way to the sea. On the day I visited, I could barely see Burgomaggiore at the bottom of the mountain.

The Second Tower

2nd Tower Battlements

I wanted to walk to the third tower and there was supposed to be a path from the second tower to the third, but the map was a little unclear as to where it began. I walked all the way back down the long slope before realizing that the path began at the bottom of a stairway just outside the entrance to the second tower. I had to climb back up the hill in order to walk downhill, again, to the third tower.

Path to the 3rd Tower

The third tower or Torre Montale was never as extensive as the other two towers. For security reasons, the entrance door was halfway up the side of the tower and must have required some form of ladder to be lowered. Visitors could not enter the tower. I took a few photos and then climbed back up the hill. My fantasy of spending a day without doing a lot of walking was not to be realized.

The 3rd Tower

Upon returning to the more urban part of the citadel, I intended to first visit the Museum of Stamps and Coins, but they were closed for lunch. I decided that was a good idea and ducked across the street to grab a chicken sandwich. I had all afternoon, so was in no hurry.

After lunch, I returned to the museum. San Marino has always had its own coins and, later, stamps. Seemingly from the dawn of time, coins from San Marino and coins from the surrounding Italian states have been interchangeable. When Italy adopted the euro, San Marino had to issue new, euro coins with San Marino imagery. Postage stamps were a later invention. San Marino was authorized to print its own stamps by the Kingdom of Italy in 1877. It was interesting to see the plates used to print the stamps.

San Marino Euro Coins

Plate for Printing Stamps

Palazzo Pubblica Interior

My next stop was the Palazzo Pubblica. This nineteenth century government building holds the house of parliament. I strolled around the lobby but elected not to climb to the second floor. Next, I went in search of the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, but I never could find it. I walked up and down the hill past the archery range a couple of times before giving up and heading to the State Museum.

Where San Marino's Archers Were Trained

The State Museum held the usual collection of building fragments and renaissance art. There were some prehistoric and Roman pieces from the surrounding area and a confusing display of figurines from Egypt. The museum covers four floors. I walked up but took the elevator back down. More interesting to me was the church and gallery of San Francesco. The building housing the museum was interesting. The religious art was interesting because it had been or was in the process of being restored and the colors were vibrant. One piece had what looked like surgical tape protecting cracks in the paint from something (exposure to moisture?) The church was simple and intimate.

Church of San Francesco

Gallery of San Francesco

Foggy Day in San Marino

By this time, it was nearly 16:00 and my bus left at 17:00. I figured I would walk down to the vicinity of the bus parking lot and grab a beer or something while I waited. Instead, I ended up at the wrong bus parking lot, decided I needed to be further down the hill, and descended a long staircase. At the bottom, I realized that I had been on the right level, just not in the right lot. I then climbed back up an even longer staircase. Climbing extra hills seemed to be the theme of my day. I still made it to the proper bus parking lot in plenty of time to catch my bus back to Rimini. For some reason, about halfway back to Rimini, just when I was about to doze off, the bus stopped and picked up a large group of middle-school aged children. There were more children than seats and they chattered incessantly. I was glad when we finally disembarked. I grabbed a few snacks on the way home and returned to my hotel to plan the next stage of my trip and write.