The caves and the square
On a hill a few kilometres inland from Rimini, Santarcangelo di Romagna is one of the most charming villages in Romagna, with a medieval upper town of steep, winding lanes, stairways and small squares, crowned by the Rocca Malatestiana and the bell tower. At the foot of the hill, the large Piazza Ganganelli is dominated by a monumental triumphal arch, erected in the eighteenth century in honour of Pope Clement XIV, Lorenzo Ganganelli, who was born here.
The great mystery of Santarcangelo lies underground: the hill is crossed by over 150 caves, dug into the tuff and sandstone, a labyrinth of tunnels, rooms, niches and staircases, some decorated with carved symbols, whose origin is still uncertain: some scholars think of ancient places of worship, others of medieval cellars and storerooms. Some can be visited with guided tours, such as the Grotta Monumentale, with a large circular room. The village is also known for the Stamperia Marchi, a workshop that since 1633 has been printing fabrics by hand with the technique of rust printing, using wooden blocks and a colour made from rust, with a large wooden mangle from the seventeenth century still in operation, and for the curious Button Museum, with thousands of buttons from all over the world. Santarcangelo was the home town of the poet and screenwriter Tonino Guerra, Fellini's collaborator. In July, the town hosts the Santarcangelo Festival, one of the most important contemporary theatre festivals in Italy.
Tip: book a tour of the caves at the tourist office; in November, the Fiera di San Martino is one of the oldest fairs in Romagna.
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