RIMINI, a town and bishop's see of Italy (anc. Ariminum, q.v.), in the province of Forli, Emilia, on the Adriatic coast, 69 m. S.E. of Bologna by rail. Pop. (1931) : town, 30,822; commune, 62,638. The city is bounded on three sides by water. It faces the Adriatic to the north, has the torrent Aprusa, now called Ausa, on the east, and the river Marecchia, which has been ca nalized to serve as a harbour for small boats, on the west. It stands in a fertile plain, which on the southern side soon swells into pleasant slopes backed by the jagged peaks of the Umbrian Apennines. The foremost foothill of the range is the steep crag of Monte Titano, crowned by the towers of the republic of San Marino. Rimini attracts numerous visitors for the sea-bathing, and has now extended as far as the coast, from which the old town is nearly a mile distant. Apart from its ancient buildings, Rimini has some interesting churches, notably S. Agostino in the Ro manesque style (1247) with a lofty campanile; the Palazzi del Podesth (1304) and dell'Arengo (1204) are good mediaeval build ings; there is a municipal picture gallery and an archaeological museum. The ancient castle of Sigismondo Malatesta is now dilapidated. For the church of S. Francis see p. 31o.
Rimini is the ancient Ariminum (q.v. for its early history and remains). Alternately captured by Byzantines and Goths, it was rigorously besieged by the latter in A.D. 538. They were, however, compelled to retreat before the reinforcements sent by Belisarius and Narses; thus the Byzantines, after various vicissitudes, be came masters of the town, appointed a duke as its governor, and included it in the exarchate of Ravenna. It afterwards fell into the power of the Longobards, and then of the Franks, who yielded it to the pope, for whom it was governed by counts to the end of the loth century. Soon after this period the imperial power became dominant in Rimini. In 1157 Frederick I. gave it, by im perial patent, the privilege of coining money and the right of self-government ; and in the 13th century we find Rimini an in dependent commune waging war on the neighbouring cities.
Giovanni Malatesta died in 1247 and was succeeded by his son Malatesta, born in 1212 and surnamed Malatesta da Verrucchio. This chieftain, who lived to be zoo years old, was the real founder of his house. Being repeatedly elected podesta, for lengthy terms of office, he at last became the virtual master of Rimini. Pope Boniface VIII. not only left Malatesta, as a Guelph champion, un molested but in 1299 conferred on him fresh honours and estates, so that his power went on increasing to the day of his death in 1312. He had four sons, Malatestino, Giovanni (called the Lame), Paolo, and Pandolfo. Giovanni served under
Giovanni da Polenta of Ravenna and won the hand of that potentate's beautiful daughter, known to history as Francesca da Rimini. But her heart had been won by the handsome Paolo, her brother-in-law; and the two lovers, being surprised by Gio vanni, were murdered by him (1285). This episode has been immortalized in Dante's Inferno. Giovanni died in 1304. Thus in 1312 Malatestino became lord of Rimini, and on his decease in 1317 bequeathed the power to his brother Pandolfo.
Pandolfo died in 1326, leaving two heirs, Malatesta and Gale otto. In 1355 the Malatesta were reduced to submission by Pope Innocent VI. The two brothers divided their lands. Galeotto re tained the lordship of Rimini, ruling tranquilly and on good terms with the popes, who allowed him to add Cervia, Cesena, and Bertinoro to his states. Dying in 1385 at the age of 8o, he left two sons—Carlo (1364-1429) and Pandolfo (137o-1427). Carlo left no sons. Of those of Pandolfo, the eldest, Galeotto (1411– 32), was an ascetic, gave little or no attention to public business, and, dying early, bequeathed the state to his brother Sigismondo Pandolfo. The third son, Novello (1418-65) ruled over Cesena. Sigismondo Pandolfo.—Sigismondo (1417-68) is the person age to whom Rimini owes its renown during the Renaissance, of which indeed he was one of the strangest and most original rep resentatives. He was born in Brescia, and when called to the suc cession, at the age of 15, had already given proofs of valour in the field. His knowledge of antiquity was so profound as to ex cite the admiration of all the learned men with whom he dis coursed, even when, as in the case of Pius II., they chanced to be his personal enemies. To him is due the erection of the church of St. Francis, or temple of the Malatesta, the greatest of Rimini's treasures. On assuming power in 1432, Sigismondo was already affianced to the daughter of Count Carmagnola; but when that famous leader was arraigned as a traitor by the Venetians, and ignominiously put to death, he promptly withdrew from his engagement and espoused Ginevra d'Este, daughter of the duke of Ferrara in 1434. In 1440 his wife died. Two years afterwards he married Polissena, daughter of the famous condottiere, Fran cesco Sforza, who in 1443 bore him a son named Galeotto Rob erto. But by this time he was already madly in love with Isotta degli Atti, and this was the passion which endured to his death. The lady succeeded in gaining an absolute ascendancy over him, which increased with time. She bore him several children, but this did not prevent his having others by different concubines. Such being the nature of the man, it is not astonishing that, as his ardour for Isotta increased, he should have little scruple in ridding himself of his second wife. On June 1, 145o, Polissena died by strangling, and on the 3oth of the same month Isotta's offspring were legitimated by Nicholas V.