Castel Sismondo is the fortified residence commissioned by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in central Rimini. It stands in Piazza Malatesta behind Teatro Galli and houses part of Fellini Museum. The exterior and square can be viewed freely; the interiors form part of the museum route.
Sigismondo's fortress
Work began in 1437. The residence was inhabited in 1446, while construction continued in subsequent years. Square towers and walls sloping at the base belong to a building designed for both living and defence.
The castle had a broad moat and incorporated older structures. Over the centuries, it lost some defences, became a papal fortress and then a prison until 1967. Restoration returned the surviving central core to public use.
The castle and square today
Since 2021, sixteen rooms in the fortress have housed the route devoted to Federico Fellini. The visit thus changes its focus: fifteenth-century architecture contains an exhibition about cinema and the director's imagination.
In Piazza Malatesta, shallow water recalls the outline of the old moat; other outdoor spaces have been landscaped with greenery. The museum also includes Palazzo del Fulgor and the square, described in the Fellini Museum guide.
Castel Sismondo opens Tuesday to Sunday, in the morning and afternoon, and is visited with a Fellini Museum ticket. At 11am on the first Sunday of each month, the museum offers a guided castle visit lasting about 45 minutes, in Italian. The fortress is a stop in the Rimini monuments guide.
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