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Riccione
Comune
Comune di Riccione
Piazzale Roma in Riccione.
Coat of arms
Location of Riccione
Riccione Location of Riccione in Italy Show map of Italy Riccione Riccione (Emilia-Romagna) Show map of Emilia-Romagna
Coordinates: 44°0′N 12°39′E / 44.000°N 12.650°E / 44.000; 12.650Coordinates: 44°0′N 12°39′E / 44.000°N 12.650°E / 44.000; 12.650
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Province	Rimini (RN)
Frazioni	Abissinia, Alba, Centro, Colombarina, Fontanelle, Il Villaggio, San Lorenzo in Strada, Spontricciolo
Government
• Mayor	Renata Tosi (centre-right)
Area
• Total	17.11 km2 (6.61 sq mi)
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population (31 May 2007)[1]
• Total	34,868
• Density	2,000/km2 (5,300/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Riccionesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	47838
Dialing code	0541
Patron saint	San Martino
Saint day	11 November
Website	Official website

Riccione (Italian pronunciation: [ritˈtʃoːne]; Romagnol: Arciôn [arˈtsoːŋ]) is a comune in the Province of Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. As of 2007^[update] Riccione had an estimated population of 34,868.

History

The oldest archaeological findings in Riccione's area date to the 2nd century BC, although it was most likely settled in advance. At the time of the Roman Republic, it was known as Vicus Popilius and a bridge over the Rio Melo river. After an obscurity period, in 1260 it was acquired by the Agolanti family, connected to the lords of Rimini, the Malatesta. In the 17th century some watchtowers were built on the seaside against assaults by pirates.

Origins of the tourist fame of Riccione date to the late 19th century, mostly spurred by the construction of residences by rich Bolognese people. In the 1930s there were some 30,000 tourists a year, with some 80 hotels existing. Benito Mussolini had a villa built here in 1934.

After World War II, tourist flow was further increased by its choosing as vacation resort by numerous famous people, such as Pelè, Mina, Ugo Tognazzi, Vittorio De Sica, Romano Mussolini (painter and jazz pianist), Maria Scicolone (sister of Sofia Loren), Pacifico Marchesini (bon-vivant/Italian diplomat) and others.

Tourism

Since the 1930s Riccione gained the status of a main destination of summer tourism on the Adriatic riviera of Romagna, and, together with Rimini, is one of the best known seaside resorts in Northern Italy. Every two years, a festival called the Festival Del Sol takes place.

Tourism in Riccione is massive, including mostly young people attracted by its great nightlife. The Adriatic coast in Emilia Romagna is called Riviera Romagnola and it has plenty of night clubs. Riccione also attracts families with children, thanks to its theme parks, hotels organize baby sitting for kids all day in the hotel and on the beach.

The scores of hotels on the Riviera, one next to the other, determine the large number of tourists flowing there in summer. The main streets of Riccione, viale Dante and viale Ceccarini have numerous night spots, bars, and hotels, in the night and they are the best place for shopping and eating during the day. The seafront is a long boulevard, shaped by a road and an equally developed bicycle lane, that reaches up to the town's end going along the sea.

Cycling is popular in the Emilia Romagna area and a number of Riccione's hotels have teamed up to capitalise on this. These hotels provide specific facilities for cycling tourists, including bike hire, cycle storage and tour guides.

One of the main event in Riccione beaches is the pink night, where the city becomes pink. There are parties on the beaches all the night for an entire week end and it is possible to see the Adriatic coast becoming pink for all the magnificent fireworks.

In Riccione there is also a popular Panoramic Site and meeting point, famous for its simplicity and its position, named "The Grey Bench", located at the corner between "Viale Dante" and "Viale Bellini" near the docks (Google Maps)

Sport

From 4 to 15 September 2007, Riccione hosted the World Masters Athletics Championships.

From 29 June to 6 July 2007, Riccione (with Rimini) hosted the CSIT championships.

Riccione has a new swimming pool with 50-metre (160 ft) lanes indoors and outdoors. Every year, it hosts international competitions. The city has hosted the FINA World Masters Championships in swimming, diving, water polo, open water and synchronized swimming.

Minor sport events are the beach line festival, tennis beach competitions. On the beach there are surf clubs and kitesurf clubs as well.

In 2020, it will host the International Lifesaving Federation World Life Saving Championships.

Transportation

Riccione is linked with the nearby city of Rimini by the Rimini–Riccione trolleybus line and it is linked to the main cities by train, to Bologna (northbound) and to Ancona (southbound).
The nearest airport is the Federico Fellini Airport in Miramare di Rimini, which is only a couple of kilometres (1.2 miles) from Riccione. Federico Fellini Airport links Riccione to the main European cities.

People from Riccione

• 
  Carlotta Montanari, actress.^[2]
  


• 
  Martina Colombari, Miss Italia 1991, actress.


• 
  Mattia Pasini, motorcycle road racer.


• 
  Isabella Santacroce, novelist.


• 
  Andrea Speziali, designer, artist and decoration consultant.

References

• 
  Fabio Lombardi (2002). Storia di Riccione. Cesena: Il ponte vecchio. ISBN 88-8312-188-0.
  


• 
  Andrea Speziali (2005). Villa Antolini a Riccione. New York: Lulu. ISBN 978-1-4457-8644-5.
  


• 
  Andrea Speziali (2008). Le ville di Riccione. New York: Lulu. ISBN 978-1-4461-5980-4.
  


• 
  Andrea Speziali (2008). Una Stagione del Liberty a Riccione. Santarcangelo: Maggioli editore. ISBN 978-88-387-5649-8.
  

External links

• 
  Hotel Riccione Vacanze, 10 things to do in Riccione.


• 
  Riccione, Riccione cultura.


• 
  La Città Invisibile (in Italian), collection of signs, stories and memories on Riccione during the war age.


• 
  Riccione, Riccione tourism web site.


• 
  Riccione, Riccione tourism web.

• Vela Club Marano

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Riccione.