01Santarcangelo di Romagna at a glance
A day trip into the hills from Hotel Viking, the Antonioli family's 3-star hotel in Viserbella di Rimini. Santarcangelo is the nearest hill town to the hotel, with caves dug into the tuff, the Malatesta fortress, the triumphal arch and osterie serving piadina and Romagna cooking.
It's 10.3 km from the hotel, about 20 minutes by car. Spend half a day or a whole day there and be back by the sea in the evening for our Romagna cooking. Food festivals and fêtes during your stay are listed on our events in Rimini page.
| Where | Piazza Ganganelli, 47822 Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN). IAT tourist office at Via C. Battisti 5 (in the restricted traffic zone); recommended car park: Area Campana, about 700–800 m from the IAT |
|---|---|
| From the hotel by car | 10.3 km, about 20 minutes |
| When to go | all year; food festivals and fairs in autumn |
02History
- Santarcangelo stands on the Via Emilia, about 10 km from Rimini, and is known as the "gateway to the Valmarecchia". It has Roman origins, but the town you see today grew up around the year 1000 on the Colle Giove hill, around the first castle, which later became the Rocca Malatestiana.
- In 1828 Pope Leo XII granted it the title of city, and since 1984 Santarcangelo has officially been a City of Art.
- Under the old town lie more than 150 man-made caves dug into the sandstone, an underground city whose purpose is still a mystery: cellars, storerooms or places of worship. The Grotta Monumentale, owned by the town council, has a colonnade at its entrance taken from a 14th-century Franciscan church. During the Second World War the caves sheltered many people.
- In the central Piazza Ganganelli stands the great triumphal arch that the townspeople built in 1777 in honour of Pope Clement XIV (Lorenzo Ganganelli, 1705-1774), the only pope born in Santarcangelo. The ancient Via Emilia once ran under the arch.
- The Rocca Malatestiana owes its present look to the work Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta carried out in 1447, when he added three polygonal towers. Today it belongs to the Colonna di Paliano family, and legend places the tragedy of Paolo and Francesca, told by Dante, here.
- The Campanone, a 25-metre neo-Gothic bell tower built in 1893, is the symbol of the town along with the Arco Ganganelli. On top, a wrought-iron weathervane shows St Michael the Archangel, Santarcangelo's patron saint.
03What to see
At the historic Stamperia Marchi workshop, traditional Romagna rust-printed linens are still made and pressed in a mangle from 1633 that is still in use.
The town's best-known product is the Cipolla dell'acqua di Santarcangelo, a Slow Food Presidium: a sweet, early onion that can weigh up to 1 kg (locals are nicknamed "i cipolloni", the big onions). Legend has it that the name Sangiovese comes from "Sanguis Jovis", the wine made on the Colle Giove hill.
Every November brings the Fiera di San Martino, known as the "Fiera dei Becchi" (Cuckolds' Fair), with horns hung under the Arch, the national storytellers' festival (Sagra Nazionale dei Cantastorie) and a market of seasonal produce. In 2026 it runs from 7 to 11 November.
In July the town hosts the Festival Internazionale del Teatro in Piazza, running since 1971 and one of Italy's leading theatre festivals.
Santarcangelo is the birthplace of the poet and screenwriter Tonino Guerra (who wrote the screenplay for Fellini's Amarcord), the dialect poets Raffaello Baldini and Nino Pedretti, and the 17th-century painter Guido Cagnacci.
Sources: visitsantarcangelo.it · Emilia-Romagna Turismo · iatsantarcangelo.com · Wikipedia. Information checked in October 2026.
04Visitor information
The historic centre, the squares and the medieval quarter are free to wander round. The public Grotta Monumentale can only be visited on a guided tour (about 50 minutes) starting from the IAT tourist office at Via C. Battisti 5; booking is recommended. Prices published in October 2026: €5 full price and €4 reduced, free for children up to 14; the caves stay at around 13 °C. Tours from 26 October to 28 March at 10:00, 11:30, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (Thursdays, mornings only); from 29 March to 25 October at 10:00, 11:30, 15:30, 16:30 and 17:30. The IAT is open every day (26/10 to 28/3: 8:30am–12:30pm and 2pm–6pm, closed Thursday afternoons; 29/3 to 25/10: 8:30am–12:30pm and 3pm–7pm). The office is in the restricted traffic zone, so park at Area Campana, the largest car park, about 700–800 metres away and free except in the last week of August and the first half of November. Traditionally, shops close on Thursday afternoons; the weekly markets are on Monday and Friday mornings in Piazza Ganganelli.
Opening times and prices may change: always check the official website before you go.
Sources: iatsantarcangelo.com. Information checked in October 2026.
05How to get there from Hotel Viking
By car: 10.3 km, about 20 minutes. At reception we'll suggest the best route and the handiest car parks, and we can pack you a picnic lunch if you ask.
Your space back at the hotel stays free in our private car park, which is fenced and has CCTV. You'll find other villages to see on the same day below.
06Nearby
- Poggio Torriana, with Palazzo Marcosanti and the Valmarecchia watermills (about 6 km)
- Torriana and the village of Montebello, with the Rocca dei Guidi di Bagno and the legend of Azzurrina
- Verucchio, cradle of the Malatesta family
- San Marino and San Leo, heading up the Valmarecchia
- Rimini (about 10 km)
- Montebello and Torriana
- Verucchio
All the villages on one page: villages to visit in the hills. For more ideas, see things to do in Rimini.
07What our guests say
What our guests say about their trips into the hills.
Day trips
«You can book trips inland with the help of the reception staff»
Sea and hills
«great view from the balcony, towards the sea on one side and the hinterland on the other»
08FAQ
Can you visit the caves in Santarcangelo?
Yes. The public Grotta Monumentale can only be seen on a guided tour of about 50 minutes, starting from the IAT tourist office at Via C. Battisti 5. Book ahead and bring an extra layer: the caves stay at around 13 °C.
When is the Fiera di San Martino in Santarcangelo?
Every year around 11 November, St Martin's Day. In 2026 it runs from 7 to 11 November, with the ritual of the horns hung under the Arch, the cantastorie (travelling storytellers) and a market of autumn produce.
How far is Santarcangelo di Romagna from Hotel Viking?
10.3 km, about 20 minutes by car from Viserbella di Rimini.
How long do you need to visit Santarcangelo di Romagna?
Half a day covers the village and the castle. Add lunch at an osteria and another village nearby and you have a good full day out.
Where should I stay to visit the villages of the Valmarecchia and Valconca?
Hotel Viking in Viserbella di Rimini is a 3-star hotel 150 metres from the sea, with a private car park, open all year and well placed for trips inland.
Is autumn a good time to visit Santarcangelo di Romagna?
Yes. Autumn brings food festivals, chestnuts and the colours of the changing hills. Check the dates on the town council's website.
