History
The Grand Hotel Rimini was designed by the
South American architect Paolo Somazzi, under the guidance of
the “Società Milanese Alberghi, Ristoranti e Affini” (Milan
Hotel and Restaurant Company) It was opened on July 1st
1908.
A serious fire destroyed the
two decorative domes which adorned the roof in July 1920: the
domes were never replaced. The hotel, badly damaged during the
war, was reconstructed in the 1950s. As a child,
Federico Fellini loved the
Grand Hotel so much that he decided to immortalize it in some of
his most famous films that gave the hotel a worldwide fame :
particularly “Amarcord” (I remember) where the inimitable and
fascinating atmosphere of the Grand Hotel are the background to
some of the most memorable scenes.
The rooms are still
decorated with Venetian and French antiques of the XVIII century,
the original wooden floor (parquet) and the Venetian chandeliers
have been restored; whilst in the restaurant and the other
banqueting rooms, the furniture, the paintings and the lights
reinforce the original atmosphere of the past. In 1994 the Grand
Hotel Rimini was recognized as a national monument and it is
under the protection of the Superintendent of Fine Arts.