The Church of Saint Agostino and Saint Giovanni the Evangelist
The Church of Sant’Agostino, one of Rimini’s oldest religious buildings, dates back to the 13th century, though the earliest record goes back to 1069, when it was a small oratory dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist. In 1256 it was entrusted to the Hermit Friars of St. Augustine, which gave it its current name.
Architecture & Bell Tower
Built in Romanesque-Gothic style, the church has a rectangular floor plan with trussed roof and a large apse flanked by two chapels—one of which supports the towering 55-meter-high bell tower, the tallest in Rimini. For centuries, it served as a landmark for sailors.
The facade, reworked in the 18th century, is flanked by slender pilasters that enhance the Gothic sobriety of the side walls.
Art & Frescoes
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the interior was decorated with frescoes by the Rimini School of the 1300s, especially in the apse and the bell tower chapel. Many were rediscovered after the 1916 earthquake and partially transferred to the civic museum.
Key works include:
Frescoes by the Master of the Arengo and scenes from the life of St. John in the bell tower chapel.
A 14th-century wooden crucifix and Marian scenes in the apse.
18th-century ceiling frescoes by Ferdinando Bibiena, stuccos by Carlo Sarti, and paintings by Vittorio Maria Bigari.
Historical & Spiritual Value
Giovanni da Rimini, a master of 14th-century painting, is believed to have worked here. The church is considered the birthplace of the Rimini figurative renaissance, symbolically “in the shadow of the bell tower”.
The liturgical layout and grand iconography (like the fresco of the Last Judgment) created a deeply spiritual and visual experience for worshippers.
Visitor Info
Hours: Open morning and afternoon; closed during services.
Guided tours: Available for small groups; main nave is freely accessible, presbytery and bell tower require a guide.
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Why Visit?
A cornerstone of Rimini’s medieval faith and art.
A key site for the Rimini School of Painting, with preserved 14th-century frescoes.
A visually rich and emotionally moving experience into the medieval world.