Monday, March 25, 2013

Rimini: Home to Federico Fellini & La Puraza




Rimini is probably the most famous seaside resort in Italy. Its miles of sandy beach along the Adriatic coast made the town a trendy destination in the 1960s and 1970s and its popularity has never waned, although it became rather less fashionable. Rimini's centro storico, historic centre, is an old walled town which dates back to Roman times. The layout of town hasn't changed a great deal since the Roman era. The Roman forum would have stood where Piazza Tre Martiri still fills up with bustling locals. This is where Caesar, after crossing the nearby Rubicon, is said to have addressed his soldiers before marching on Rome. The most striking remains of Roman Rimini are a triumphal arch and bridge, lying at either end of a straight road which traverses the town centre. The Arco d'Augusto, Arch of Augustus, was built in 27 BC to honour Augustus. At the other side of the town centre is the Ponte di Tiberio, Bridge of Tiberius, a bridge which was constructed during the reigns of the Emperors Augustus and Tiberius. The river it crossed has changed course but it still stands there as an elegant testament to the town's past.



Rimini's Roman Arch of Augustus

The Bridge of Tiberius

A family of Italian gulls soaking up the sun

Cavour Square

Piazza di Tre Martiri

A lovely flower stall in the square

I couldn't resist buying some fresh fragrant lilies for our villa in Tredozio

My friendly flower lady graciously allowed me to take her picture

Rimini Fontana della pigna

Rimini's Vecchia Pescheria, the old fish market dating from 1747

The bronze plaque outside the fish market

Bronze statue of Julius Caesar in Piazza Tre Martiri



World-renowned Italian film director Federico Fellini was born in the seaside village of Rimini on January 20, 1920. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, in fact, the term "Felliniesque" is a style of filmmaking where dreams and reality are perceived as one experience. He won five Academy Awards, becoming the person who won the highest number of Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film in history, The movie that Fellini is best known for is La Dolce Vita, released in 1960, it's a celebration of life and love. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, and Swedish sex bomb Anita Ekberg, "La Dolce Vita" means "the sweet life." And that's what we found in this  lovely seaside town that Fellini used to call home.



La Dolce Vita vintage poster



Nestled inside an old restored cottage lying on the slopes of the green hills of Covignano, a few kilometers from Rimini and San Marino, is La Puraza Trattoria, Rimini's answer to the area's most fabulous seafood and warm Romagna hospitality.




La Puraza, a seafood lovers paradise minutes to the Adriatic

An outdoor chalkboard highlights some of La Puraza's seafood specialties

Fresh seafood straight from the Adriatic

Our table at La Puraza

A delicious bottle of 2011 Fiano di Avellino di San Gregorio

A basket of fresh baked bread

Warm Salade di Polipo - octopus salad - and it was excellent

Fritto Misto di Mare

La Puraza special warm seafood appetizer: sardines, razor clams and gamberoni

Vongole Veraci - tiny Adriatic clams

Some of the first vegetables we've seen all week, and what a sight they were!

A fabulous meal, and even the empty shells look appetizing

Pistachio, vanilla and chocolate gelato in an edible chocolate brushed nut bowl

Tiramisu






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