Castel Sismondo, Rimini

Little remains of the castle built by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in 1437; today's visitor will see only a small part of the great fortification on the Piazza Malatesta, but the construction still has its large square towers and solid walls. The original plans were that the castle should look like a fort dominated by a large keep and surrounded by a deep dyke with drawbridges. It served as a prison under the rule of the papacy, then again during the bombardments of the last war.