We are in the hills, looking out towards the sea, among cornfields and vineyards renowned for their quality.
We are in a little village with a vast territory around it, including fertile well-kept farmlands and country hamlets where people live and work.
The most-visited beaches in Europe – Rimini, Riccione, and Cattolica – are close by, and yet this is a place of peace and tranquillity, ideal for relaxing, and a good starting point for visiting the inland countryside, especially for visitors coming from Rimini to see the Conca valley.
San Clemente too played its part in the history of the Malatesta Seignory. This is not a border area, however, so it was a fairly peaceful place in the time of the Malatestas, and the fortifications here were neither as massive nor as crucial as elsewhere. Still, there are evident traces of the past.
The layout of the old town centre was determined by the defensive buildings: the present perimeter is still determined by the walls and ramparts, altered here and there but still clearly visible. The entrance gate itself, though altered in recent times, takes us back to an age when the town was completely fortified.
A small hill town, which belonged to the Malatesta Seignory, with a large territory largely given over to vineyards which produce the renowned Sangiovese.
As well as having a flourishing agricultural economy, the town has a well-established tradition of food and wine.
The picturesque old town is enclosed by mighty walls of the Malatesta period which testify to a past role of defence.
Church of San Clemente
Built in 1836 on top of the 14th-century monastery church, of which a few traces still remain in the interior.
Village of San Clemente
Recollections of the Malatesta era are still clearly visible in the urban fabric of San Clemente.
Wine is the prince of this area, which produces excellent Sangiovese di Romagna, and an important festival focuses on local production; unsurprisingly, the municipality is part of the Italian Wine Cities Association.
As well as a flourishing agricultural activity, the village now also focuses on typical local food and wine products and initiatives designed to maintain traditions.
This area is excellent for cycling tours, and the minor roads offer enjoyale routes between the sea and the hills.
Wine Festival. June
In an area so devoted to the production of good wine, there simply has to be a competition for the best red wines from San Clemente and the surrounding countryside. A good excuse for a party, and also for tasting and buying the best of the year’s production.
Notes di...vine. Sundays in July
Series of evenings devoted to good wine and good music.
A number of small country villages in this area still have interesting traces of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, including Agello and Castelleale, both of which are only a few kilometres from San Clemente. San Clemente, being an older centre with jurisdiction over a wide area, has long disputed control over the Conca valley with Saludecio and Montefiore, two other important towns in the middle valley.
