The Riviera Romagnola boasts a fascinating hinterland which is rich in history, tastes and colors not to be forgotten.
San Leo is situated on the most pointed of the mountains of the whole Apennines: the Monte Feliciano, so steep as to be accessible by a single road cut in the rock. On the summit of San Leo is dominated by the imposing fortress designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini: one of the greatest geniuses, together with Leonardo da Vinci, of the military architecture of the florentine renaissance. In the middle of the country, on the contrary, overlooking a charming little square, are the two churches, the pride of San Leo: the ancient Parish church of pre-romanesque style, dating back to the NINTH century; and the Cathedral, in the lombard romanesque style, dating from the TWELFTH century. San Leo in the middle ages it was one of the most important cities of Italy: the strength of its fortifications enabled him even in the period of Ottonian, to be chosen by Berengar II as the capital of his Kingdom of Italy.
Montegridolfo is a small fortified town on the hills that divide the region of Emilia Romagna and Marche, between the river valleys of the Conca and the Foglia river. The whole town of Montegridolfo is enclosed by thick defensive walls, as if that was all of a castle. Montegridolfo are also important historical buildings and several churches of great value, many works of restoration, which took place in the past years, have brought the country to the splendor of the time. During the Second World War, Montegridolfo was the scene of a painful battle between the germans and the allies. That battle is now remembered in the “Museum of the gothic Line”, which displays documents of the war historical and cultural heritage of important value, and curiosity. In Montegridolfo, in the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, is preserved a painting of considerable merit, is in memory of a miracle of the XVI century.
Verucchio was the strongest of the fortified towns of the Malatesta: his rock, still today shows signs of a past as a dominatrix. The hill on which stands the town of Verucchio is located at the beginning of the Valmarecchia valley, along the roads leading away from Rimini: a land therefore of the border, well that was defended by the fortifications of the castle. Verucchio, it came to pass, in the Thirteenth century, the tragedy of the lovers Paolo and Francesca, murdered in cold blood by the jealous Gianciotto Malatesta, and made immortal in the poetry of Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy. Of considerable interest in Verucchio, in addition to the rocca, the Collegiate Church, the archaeological Museum dedicated to the important finds of the etruscans and villanovans, the Convent of San Francesco, which is located just outside the city.
On the green hills on the border between Emilia Romagna and the Marche, rises Gradara, with its castle, famous for its beauty and romantic appeal, but also for historical importance. Gradara in the XIII and XIV century it was one of the most important settlements, the military of the family of rimini of the Malatesta: you can still admire the powerful equipment of war, a fortress that is impregnable. An adequate restoration work of the twentieth-century, together with a constant care on the part of the citizens, preserve today, the fortress of Gradara, in perfect condition: the double circle of walls, the drawbridges, the towers, the halls of the building. All the walkways of the castle are open and passable. Around the castle, the elegant medieval streets of the village provide visitors peace and relaxation, for a quiet stroll.
Santarcangelo is a very close and well connected to Rimini. It is one of the most beautiful and characteristic of the Romagna region, where you breathe anair of uncontested and the noble genuineness. The symbol most famous of Sant Arcangelo, the church Bell: a bell tower built in the XIX century in neo-gothic style. You can see it even from far away, rising above the houses with its silhouette, on the top of the Hill of Jupiter: sweet relief on which the city stands. In Santarcangelo you can also find an ancient fortress, erected in the middle ages, the Malatesta, the famous arch of the eighteenth century to Clement XIV and a series of caves, carved out even in the pre-christian era. The most attractive feature of Santarcangelo is, however, that of be in the land of the artists of Romagna, among those born in Sant'arcangelo remember, in fact, the screenwriter and poet Tonino Guerra, the great Italian poet Raffaello Baldini, the famous comedian Fabio De Luigi.
