Rimini has an ancient history and there is a form of art that seems to have taken root deeply in the heart of Rimini, that of wall painting. Following the evolution and the reinventing of this artistic expression, in the city it is possible to discover fascinating places and works created by great artists.
This daily tour will follow the evolution of wall painting in Rimini, dividing the journey into three legs: the first dedicated to the fresco from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, the second to the murals in Borgo San Giuliano, while the third is dedicated to the graffiti of the canal port.
The first part of the tour starts from the Malatesta Temple, the city's cathedral and jewel of the Renaissance. The temple, an admirable example of Italian humanistic architecture, hosts one of the most famous Renaissance frescoes representing "Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in prayer before San Sigismondo" by Piero della Francesca (1451).
From the temple, in walking through what once was the Roman Forum of the ancient Ariminum, today's Piazza Tre Martiri, you reach the church of Sant'Agostino. Inside the church, one of the oldest and most imposing in the city, is the most complete pictorial cycle of the fourteenth century school of Rimini, with works by the brothers Giovanni, Giuliano and Zangolo from Rimini. Unfortunately the church has lost part of its important pictorial heritage. However it is possible to admire the enormous fresco with the 'Last Judgment' in the nearby museum of contemporary art, Palazzi dell'Arte Rimini.
The road to discover the art of wall painting in Rimini leads, moving from the historic center through the two thousand year old Tiberius Bridge, to one of the most identifying places in the city. Once the ancient fishing village, San Giuliano is perhaps the most well-known district of Rimini thanks to that typical atmosphere that brings to mind the films of the master Fellini and also thanks to the murales that color the houses. Among the alleys and houses of the Borgo it is possible to admire the colorful murales dedicated to the master of cinema or to the characters of his films that happily peep out from the walls. The tradition of making these "paintings" on houses started in the early 1980s and initially involved the walls of older houses, a way to "recover" them from decay. Over the years, the fishing village has become one of the liveliest places in Rimini, with clubs and nightlife, and now, even its murales are the work of famous artists. Among the most recent ones there are the mural created by Agim Sulaj, an entire wall depicting Fellini and his characters, or the Fellinian character of the “grandfather”, coming out of the fog by Kiril Cholakov.
The third and last part of the tour consists in a walk along the canal harbour to discover street art works. The ancient riverbed of the Marecchia river is a canal that from the port reaches the Tiberius Bridge, where a new fascinating square rises on the water surrounded by a large green area. From here a half-kilometer wall flanks the canal where, over the years, several young graffiti artists have painted their graffiti. Among them there are also international street artists such as Ericailcane, who created the gigantic mural "the Rooster from Romagna and the peacock" on a side of the old Bridge, or Eron, the world famous street artist from Rimini, who created the first example of spray art in a place of worship by “frescoing” the church of San Martino in Riparotta.
