What to do in RICCIONE
Inland, villages and castles
Romagna is a territory that has its roots in history. Centuries of passage of peoples and lordships have led to the flourishing of villages and castles with legendary charm. Perched on cliffs, surrounded by green valleys, overlooking rocky spurs, all the villages of the Romagna hinterland have a tale to tell you. By car, by bicycle or with a few hours of trekking, you have the opportunity to live unique experiences and to touch the local culture first hand.
Urbino
City of art, it experienced its heyday under the Lordship of the Montefeltro. Duke Frederick III made it one of the main centers of culture and art of the Italian Renaissance. It is a special place to visit, surrounded by sweet and evocative nature and you can breathe a mystical air in its streets. The historic center, of remarkable artistic beauty and in a strategic panoramic position, was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. In the cobbled streets of the center, in the ancient squares it is nice to stroll to discover the numerous treasures of Urbino, including the Palazzo Ducale, a Renaissance building of rare beauty.
Torriana e Montebello
Torriana and Montebello are two of the rocky spurs of the Marecchia Valley; the Middle Ages exploited this conformation by erecting the impregnable strongholds of Scorticata and Montebello. The Montebello Castle, one of the most evocative castles in the Rimini area, is home to the legend of the ghost of Azzurrina, an albino girl who disappeared in the castle in the Middle Ages and whose presence is still felt today. The guided tour is thrilling.
Verucchio
Once you arrive in the medieval village, you can immediately grasp a mix of tradition and history, starting from Piazza Malatesta where three interesting buildings overlook: the Town Hall, the eighteenth-century Palazzo Giungi and the neoclassical Palazzo Bedetti. From here you can start on an itinerary of the town to discover the Malatesta family and beyond. Verucchio has a very ancient history closely linked to the Malatesta Lordship. But long before the Middle Ages and more precisely in the Iron Age, between the ninth and sixth centuries BC, Verucchio hosted an important Villanovan cultural settlement of which it still houses extraordinary finds today in its Civic Museum. Do not miss the monumental complex of the Malatesta Fortress, a set of buildings built in different periods, built between the 12th and 16th centuries in a large area built on the highest point of the "stone" of Verucchio from where you can admire an exclusive panorama.
San Leo
San Leo is part of "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy" and is the Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club. A wonderful capital of art, mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy, it is the hub of the historic region of Montefeltro and is the city that gave it its name. Known for its historical and geopolitical events, location for films and documentaries, a tourist destination of excellence, it is the most precious pearl in the province of Rimini. The extraordinary conformation of the place, an imposing rocky boulder with overhanging walls has determined, since prehistoric times, its double military and religious value, testified by artifacts of great architectural and artistic value.
Pennabilli
Built at 629 meters, it is faithful to its medieval layout. It owes its urban layout to the union of the two castles, Billi, above the Rupe, and Penna, on the Roccione. Of very ancient origins, it has seen the Umbrians, the Etruscans and the Romans succeed one another and around the year 1000, the town developed with fortifications, defenses and sacred buildings up to structure the historic center. The numerous testimonies from the past, the monumental and artistic heritage present in the historic center and in the hamlets, create a prestigious cultural path, supported by numerous cultural and spectacular events during the year such as the National Antiques Market Exhibition in July, and the International Street Art Festival in June.
San Marino
Since 2008, the historic center of the city of San Marino and Mount Titano have been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is the oldest republic in Europe and also the state that, in proportion to its inhabitants, hosts the largest number of visitors, attracted by its historic center with countless shops, ancient squares, palaces, museums, churches and the medieval houses all in stone that retain the appearance of the past. On the summit of Mount Titano stand the three towers connected to each other with walls and walkways, from where you can enjoy a splendid panorama.
Gradara
The town of Gradara, located in the province of Pesaro Urbino in the Marche region, is already fascinating in the distance, when along the highway you see it appear intact and elegant up there, among the green countryside full of olive trees and vines, with the walls and the castle preserved to the wear of time. The Rocca and its fortified village represent one of the best preserved medieval structures in Italy and the two walls that protect the fortress, the outermost of which extends for almost 800 meters, also make it one of the most impressive.
Montefiore Conca
Montefiore Conca is part of "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy" and is Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club. The sight of its fortress steals the eye, an imposing Malatesta artifact that stands impregnable over the valley of the Conca river. But once you have reached its medieval settlement, it too fascinates and invites you to walk along it. And around it a green with intact woods and gently cultivated countryside offers itself generously, while the coast is the background, and the sea draws the horizon. Montefiore is a destination not to be missed in any season of the year.