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Cattolica: past, present and legends

Situated on the border between Romagna and Marche, Cattolica is part of the Riviera Romagnola; tourism is fundamental in its present, but let’s not forget that it’s an ancient town, quoted in Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Author: Lia Contesso
Date: Mar 12, 2010 - 4:17:03 AM

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Cattolica’s adventure as an independent town began in 1896, when it parted from San Giovanni in Marignano, the agricultural importance of which is to be reminded: it was considered “the granary of the Malatestas”, (the family that ruled those territories), referring to its hills, where wine and the harvestings of wheat were abundant. The first referring to Cattolica, anyway, is to be found in an act in which, in 1271, some inhabitants of the surrounding towns affirmed their intention to move under the government of Rimini, in the land of the archiepiscopate of Ravenna. Moreover, if we want to reach the first clues of the existence of a human installation in the area in which Cattolica is built nowadays, there are archaeological excavations that prove the presence of installations around 200 b.C. . The nearness of the sea, of the hills and the fact of being crossed by the river Tavollo have no doubt encouraged the choice of this territory as a basis for agriculture, hunting and, most of all, fishing, as we can notice from the typical dishes that nowadays are on Cattolica’s tables: mantis shrimps, Venus shells, ink-fishes and much more remind the nearness of the sea, while piadine take us back to the farmers’ meals, that can be comfortably eaten away from home and even cold.

  Cattolica has the honour of a quoting in the Divine Comedy: Dante quotes it in the XXVIII canto of the Inferno, where sowers of discontent are punished: the law of retaliation provides for them a physical division, equal to the moral one that they provoked when they were alive. The town is named when a damned soul makes a prophecy about the destiny of two citizens of Fano, rebelling to their despotic lord: according to the prophecy, they will be thrown out of their ship in Cattolica.

Looking at its present, Cattolica obviously still has the favour of its geographical position, and offers its benefits to the thousands of tourists that it hosts every year; apart from its natural luck, Cattolica is proud of its big aquarium, “Le Navi”, extended on a 110 thousand square meters area and, being on the sea, it gives space to fantasy, letting us imagine to be really underwater. The name of the aquarium comes from the form of the buildings and their disposition, that reminds a fleet; its biggest pride are the sharks, different species of which are hosted, for a total of 50.

  And underwater, apart from fishes, some people are sure that you could find a submerged city: Conca. They say that its entrance should be right in Cattolica’s vicinities, and this belief is nourished by the numerous stones that have been found in the surroundings, coming from the sea, that seem to be part of some sculptures: a kind of Atlantis, of which no one has still proved the existence – nor the contrary. On Cattolica’s beach, then, you could find mysterious stones; but if you don’t, it doesn’t matter: three sails in the Blue Guide by Legambiente and the Blue Flag in 2007 promise a nice beach and a beautiful sea, with or without submerged cities.

  This article was written by Lia Contesso with support from  hotels marebello for any information, please visit hotel miramare or for insurance visit hotel punta marina.

View all articles by Lia Contesso

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