Sprawling along the Adriatic Sea , Rimini is situated at a strategically-important north-south passage along the coast at the southern tip of the Po Valley.
It is one of the most notable seaside resorts in Europe , with a significant domestic and international tourist economy. The first bathing establishment opened in The city is also the birthplace of the film director Federico Fellini , and the nearest Italian city to the independent Republic of San Marino. The ancient Romans founded the colonia of Ariminum in BC, constructing the Arch of Augustus and the Ponte di Tiberio at the start of strategic roads that ended in Rimini.
During the Renaissance, the city benefited from the court of the House of Malatesta , hosting artists like Leonardo da Vinci and producing the Tempio Malatestiano. In the 19th century, Rimini hosted many movements campaigning for Italian unification. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II , and it earned a gold medal for civic valour for its partisan resistance. In recent years, the Rimini Fiera has become one of the largest sites for trade fairs and conferences in Italy.
As of 31 December , Rimini's urban area was home to , people, with approximately , living in the eponymous province , making it the twenty-eighth largest city in Italy. The area was inhabited by Etruscans [ 4 ] until the arrival of the Celts , who held it from the 6th century BC until their defeat by the Umbri in BC.
Ariminum was seen as a bastion against Celtic invaders and also as a springboard for conquering the Padana plain. The city was involved in the civil wars of the first century, aligned with the popular party and its leaders, first Gaius Marius , and then Julius Caesar. After crossing the Rubicon , the latter made his legendary appeal to the legions in the Forum of Rimini. As the terminus of the Via Flaminia , which ended in the town at the surviving prestigious Arch of Augustus erected 27 BC , Rimini was a road junction connecting central and northern Italy by the Via Aemilia that led to Piacenza and the Via Popilia that extended northwards; it also opened up trade by sea and river.
