Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (Rimini 1417-1468).
The natural son of Pandolfo III, he was Lord of Rimini from 1432. He was an audacious general, a daring prince, paid by many lords, and one of the bravest captains of the Papal Army. He was an art lover and surrounded himself with famous artists and intellectuals, calling on them to rebuild the church of San Francesco, later to become the Malatesta Temple, and to construct his castle.

Federico Fellini (Rimini 1920-Rome 1993).
He was the undisputed genius of international cinema but began his extraordinary artistic career as a cartoon illustrator, a gagman and screenwriter. He directed great masterpieces like Otto e 1/2 and 'epoch-making' films like La dolce vita. His films, which are not linked to traditional narrative structures, draw inspiration from the places where he lived: Rimini (in I vitelloni and Amarcord) and Rome. Fellini won Oscars for his films La Strada, Le notti di Cabiria, Otto e 1/2 and Amarcord and just a few months before dying, in spring 1993, he won his fifth Oscar for his career.

René Gruau (Rimini 1909).
Born Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Caminate he moved to Paris in the thirties where he became one of the most famous fashion designers of the twentieth century. The unmistakable lines of his work, expressed in the rich relationship between fashion and publicity, can be seen in the pieces that are permanently on display in an area dedicated to the artist in the city’s Municipal Museum.

Paolo e Francesca
A mysterious story of love and death that for centuries has fuelled the imagination of artists and poets from Dante (5th canto of the Inferno) to D’Annunzio, who dedicated his poem Francesca da Rimini to his beloved Eleonora Duse. Francesca, the daughter of the Lord of Ravenna, was married to a member of the Malatesta family, Giovanni Gianciotto (Giovanni the Lame) whereas Paolo the Beautiful was her husband’s brother. An adulterous love therefore, that was discovered and punished by death. Many historical references confirm that the crime took place in Rimini in the 'red houses' near Sant’Andrea gate, the Malatesta family’s first residence, even if the Pesaro, Gradara, Verucchio, Meldola, Giaggiolo and Bellaria all claim to be the setting of this tragic event.