History of Borgo San Giuliano
The history of the Borgo is the history of its community, of the people who live here and have lived here, and who keep its stories, memories and traditions alive.
The Origins - Around the Year 1000
The first houses were built around the year 1000: small dwellings packed one against the other, home to fishermen, sailors and craftsmen. The people of the Borgo came from firmly working-class stock.
Its oldest part is the Benedictine complex dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, joined in the second half of the 9th century by the Church of San Giuliano Martire. After many rebuildings, the 16th-century restoration replaced the three medieval naves with the two we see today.
Inside you can admire masterpieces of the Venetian school such as Veronese's "The Martyrdom of Saint Julian" and the urn holding the saint's remains, set into the altar.
The Walls - 15th Century
In 1400 a ring of walls was built on the seaward side. Its remains are still clearly visible in via Madonna della Scala, together with one of the gates that gave access to the quarter, Porta Gervasona.
Over the centuries the quarter went through several rounds of redevelopment. The most drastic, in 1932, wiped out a large part of the Borgo next to the Tiberius Bridge.
Borgo San Giuliano in 1903 - credits facebook.com/riminisparita
The Revival - 1979
In the second half of the 20th century the Borgo had a poor reputation, so much so that in 1979 the city council proposed clearing the area to make way for a new residential district.
The residents answered that challenge by staging a huge street party, the Festa de' Borg, to show their fellow citizens, with pride, the beauty and the traditions of an old seafaring quarter.
The success of that first edition set off a wave of house restorations from the 1980s onwards: the people of Rimini invested in the Borgo, and the first murals appeared, portraying the characters and everyday scenes of the quarter.
Federico Fellini and the 1990s
Fame arrived in the 1990s, thanks in part to Federico Fellini and his love for this very special corner of the city. The great director from Rimini adored the Borgo and its people, so much so that he drew on them for many of the characters who later reached the screen.
After his death in 1993, murals dedicated to his films began to appear: the characters from Fellini's pictures came back to the streets of the quarter.
The same years saw the first restaurants open, turning the Borgo into a landmark of local gastronomy.
The Borgo Today
Today Borgo San Giuliano is a place the people of Rimini love: here you find the best bars for an aperitivo, street food, and the distinctive atmosphere of its many meat and fish osterias. There are plenty of small craft and local food shops too.
The quarter has always been fairly self-contained compared with the rest of the city, separated from it by the Tiberius Bridge. That helped keep its identity intact and shaped the magical, hard-working atmosphere you can still feel today.
Every two years it is celebrated with a new edition of the Festa de' Borg.
"The Borgo is always the Borgo. There is a bond between the residents and between the shopkeepers. If you need something it is just like it used to be: you knock on your neighbour's door and someone is there straight away to lend a hand."
— Riccardo Agostini, landlord of the Enoteca del Teatro
Historical Timeline
The first houses of the Borgo - fishermen and sailors
The Church of San Giuliano Martire is built
The ring of walls and Porta Gervasona are built
Urban redevelopment; part of the Borgo is demolished
The first Festa de' Borg
The first murals, with scenes of life in the Borgo
Fellini murals and the arrival of the first restaurants
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
The first houses of Borgo San Giuliano were built around the year 1000: small dwellings packed one against the other, home to fishermen, sailors and craftsmen.
The first Festa de' Borg was held in 1979, organised by the residents of the quarter in response to the city council's proposal to clear the area.
It was a success, and it set off the restoration of the quarter over the years that followed.
Federico Fellini deeply loved the quarter and its people, and drew on them for many of the characters in his films.
In the 1990s, after his death, murals dedicated to his films and characters began to appear.
The first murals date from the 1980s and show characters and scenes of life in the Borgo: the washerwoman, the anarchists, the musicians.
From the 1990s, after Fellini's death, many murals have been dedicated to his films and screen characters.