Castel Sismondo

The Malatesta fortress at the heart of Rimini, now the home of the Fellini Museum

Malatesta Fortress • Begun 1437 • The Fellini Museum

Explore → Get Early Access

🧭 Why Visit

Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta began this brick fortress in 1437 as a stronghold and a statement, and it still dominates the edge of the old town. Today it holds part of the Fellini Museum, and the square around it has been remade as the Piazza dei Sogni, a shallow sheet of water that doubles the castle at dusk.

🏛️ A Little History

Malatesta took such pride in the design that he called in Filippo Brunelleschi to advise, and put his own name on the walls. The outer rings were lost over the centuries, but the great keep survived, and in 2021 the piazza around it was reborn as the open-air heart of the museum dedicated to Rimini's most famous son.

The Fortress and Its Square

The Fortress and Its Square

The Malatesta keep, the reflecting pool of the Piazza dei Sogni, and the square Fellini's museum remade.

Castel Sismondo reflected in the pool of the Piazza dei Sogni at dusk in Rimini
The castle in the waterThe Piazza dei Sogni lays a shallow mirror in front of the keep.
Tree-lined approach to Castel Sismondo in Rimini
The walk upThe fortress closes the view down the avenue from the old town.
Planted gardens and sculpture in the Piazza dei Sogni beside Castel Sismondo Rimini
The Piazza dei SogniGrasses and sculpture soften the square that Fellini's museum made.

Live Prices & Availability

Powered by GetYourGuide

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Castel Sismondo?
A fortress-residence begun in 1437 by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, the lord of Rimini. It now houses part of the Fellini Museum and stands in the redesigned Piazza Malatesta.
Can you visit it?
Yes. The castle is one of the sites of the Fellini Museum and keeps the municipal museums' hours; the surrounding Piazza dei Sogni, with its reflecting pool, is open day and night.

Explore More of rItalian

📷 Gallery

Pisa

The lean is real, but the miracle is the whole field: baptistery, cathedral, camposanto and tower…

📷 Gallery

Mantua

The Gonzaga city on three lakes, where Giulio Romano, Alberti, and Mantegna all left their mark.

📷 Gallery

Lucca

The walled city: bike the Renaissance ramparts, climb the tree-topped tower, and hear Puccini at home.

📷 Gallery

Ferrara

The Renaissance planned city: a moated castle downtown, palaces of diamonds, and more bicycles than anywhere…

📷 Gallery

Padua

Giotto, Galileo, and the Oldest Student City in Italy

📷 Gallery

Alghero

A Catalan town on the Sardinian coast, walled against the sea and still speaking its own…

Continue Your Italian Journey

Explore more destinations in our Italian travel network

🏛️ Rome 🎨 Florence 🚤 Venice 👗 Milan 🍕 Naples 🍝 Bologna 💕 Verona 🍷 Tuscany 🌊 Amalfi Coast 🏘️ Cinque Terre 🌋 Sicily

More journeys: 🌺 rHawaii ✈️ rVacation 📷 rPhotography 🍽️ rDining

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend tours and stays we would book ourselves.