Itinerary: The lands of Paolo and Francesca.

Three days, two nights.
Recommended way of transport: car.
Route: Rimini, Verucchio, Gradara, Onferno, Republic of San Marino.

 

A brief history of the characters:
Francesca, the daughter of Guido Vecchio da Polenta, lord of Ravenna, at the age of 15 years (after 1275), married John "Gianciotto" Malatesta, lord of Rimini's deformed son and gave him two sons. She died between 1283 and ‘85. There are no sure datings except that John remarried in 1286. Paul was the brother of John and was captain of the people in Florence in 1282-83. There is no evidence of the crime in the news at the time, perhaps for a censorial intervention of the ruling family.

 

The story of Paolo and Francesca, narrated by Dante:
Paolo and Francesca are the protagonists of the fifth canto of the Inferno, placed among the lustful in the second "circle". According to the story of Dante, but for which there is no trace in the chronicles of the time, Francesca had an adulterous relationship with her brother-in-law Paul and the two, caught in the act by “Gianciotto”, were both killed.

In this episode only Francesca speaks, while Paul is silent and cries at the end of the story of his beloved. The two souls fly side by side in the hellish storm that drags the lustful and Dante asks Virgil to speak to them; Francesca first shows up and reminds the murder suffered because of her husband, then, at the request of Dante, tells about the pandering reading of the novel of Lancelot and Guinevere.

 

Where did the facts narrated by Dante occur?

There are two versions:
a) At the Gradara Castle;
b) In the Malatesta’s mansions of Rimini, in the place where now Castel Sismondo rises.

A local reporter told of two bodies found in a marble tomb in the church of St. Augustine in 1581. At the time it was said that they were the bodies of Paolo and Francesca.

Suggested itinerary:
The route takes us to the discovery of the Malatesta family of Rimini, in the territory where the crime narrated by Dante occurred. The story of Paolo and Francesca is imprinted in the popular imagination, their passion becomes a myth and is represented and re-proposed over the centuries by painters, poets and musicians (Gaetano Previati, Anselm Feuerbach, William Dyce, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, August Dominique Ingres, Sir Frank Dicksee, Ari Scheffer, Gustave Doré, William Blake, Riccardo Zandonai, Tchaikovsky, to name a few).

 

1st Day
We arrive in Rimini and move straightaway to Verucchio, 15 km away, where the castle of Malatesta da Verucchio rises (Dante called it the "Mastin Vecchio" in canto XXVII of the Inferno). From here starts the dominion of the Malatesta over Rimini city. Visit to the Castle from where you can admire the vast plain of Rimini and the beautiful valley of Marecchia; south east we see the three towers of the Republic of San Marino, south west the impressing fortress and the bell tower of the Parish Churches of San Leo. Do not miss: the "Museum of Amber" in Verucchio, an extraordinary collection of amber jewelry of Etruscan-Villanovan age.

At the foot of the Fortress is located the “Rimini Golf Club”, a beautiful 18 hole golf course in the Marecchia river-bed.

We recommend lunch in a typical restaurant in the area.

 

Let's go back to Rimini, to visit the Malatesta Temple, built in 1450 and designed by the great humanist architect Leon Battista Alberti, a place of charm that combines pagan and Christian iconography, with works by Agostino di Duccio and Matteo de Pasti. Piero della Francesca portraied in fresco Sigismondo Malatesta kneeling before St. Sigismund. In the apse, the crucifix by Giotto. The temple, in its ornamental friezes, recalls the love story between Sigismund and Isotta degli Atti, both buried in the church. The complex is one of the most important works of the Italian Renaissance.

 

Do not miss it :

A visit to the City Museum , which houses works of the Rimini’s fourteenth-century , of Giovanni Bellini , Guido Cagnacci , and works of contemporaries such as Federico Fellini , René Gruau , etc ... ; not to miss is also a visit to the Surgeon's House , the archaeological complex that develops from Roman times to the Middle Ages. Open to the public since 2007, the Domus is a small Pompei, re-emerged from the darkness of centuries in the heart of Rimini. Do not miss a visit to the church of St. Augustine, one of the largest of Rimini, whose apse keeps the greatest testimonies of the fourteenth-century Rimini’ school of painting , one of the most important artistic movements of the period in northern Italy, influenced by the passage of Giotto. A few steps away stands Castel Sismondo, built in the fifteenth century by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, thanks to the contribution of Brunelleschi; we can see only its impressive core today, which has been recently restored and assigned for art exhibitions. The castle was designed both as a building and as a fortress, a worthy seat for a highly cultured court and a sign of power and supremacy over the city.

 

Before sunset we go to the Municipal Cemetery to pay homage to the grave of Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masina, a bronze funerary monument by Arnaldo Pomodoro.

Recommended for the evening: the local wine restaurants in Borgo San Giuliano, an ancient village of fishermen. Walking through its characteristic streets, you can see a series of murals dedicated to Federico Fellini and the characters of his films.

 

2nd Day

In the morning we transfer to Gradara (20 km south on the A14 motorway, exit at Cattolica) to visit the castle and the walled village that surrounds it. We enter in silence the room where, according to the legend, the crime narrated by Dante was committed.
We spend the afternoon visiting the Nature Reserve of the Onferno caves ( municipality of Gemmano ), a complex of caves that are home to colonies of bats. Legend has it that Dante has known the existence of the caves and was inspired by them .
Along the hills that the rivers Foglia and Conca cross we can see small towns rich in history: Montegridolfo (unique its structure which has not undergone town-planning upheavals and that a careful restoration has returned to the residents and visitors. Result: an open-air museum), Mondaino (also famous for the pit cheese and where you can visit the Dante Centre " St. Gregory in Conca" , founded by prof. Angelo Chiaretti) , Saludecio (the parish museum has works by Guido Cagnacci) , Montefiore (with a imposing and impressive Malatesta Fortress, from which you can admire a breathtaking landscape and in the distance the Adriatic Sea, to the horizon ). Small countries that you should visit, to discover hidden treasures, rich in history, traditions and typical products.

 

3rd Day

Let's go back to Rimini and spend at the sea and the magnificent beach facilities the time before departure. Alternatively : we move to San Marino, the oldest republic in the world. We visit the ancient village on top of a rocky outcrop, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. We recommend stopping to eat at one of the restaurants in the village and do some shopping of local products in attractive shops .

Places to visit in San Marino: the Government Palace, the seat of power represented by the Regents Captains who, like the ancient consuls, shall remain in office for only six months: the second of three towers that were built for defensive purposes and the control on the top of Mount Titano, now houses the Museum of Ancient Arms; the Basilica of the Holy Church of San Francesco with its splendid art gallery and museum; the Church of the Capuchins; the permanent arts and crafts exhibition of San Marino. You will surely find interesting also the Museum of Modern Weapons, the one of Vintage Cars and the unfailing Wax Museum. A real gem is the Museum of Curiosities .