Cattolica Live Cam

Roman Foundations and Early Medieval Heritage

The Riviera Romagnola coastline of Emilia-Romagna traces its origins to Roman times, when the Via Flaminia and its branch, the Via Emilia Scauri, connected the Adriatic ports to the hinterland. Near present-day Rimini (ancient Ariminum), Roman triumphal arches and sections of city walls still stand as testaments to imperial urban planning and coastal defense. Maritime “Villae Maritimae” dotted the shore, supplying fish salting-works (cetariae) whose garum trade linked local products to markets across the Mediterranean. Following the fall of Rome, the region’s name—Romagna—derives from the Latin “Romania,” reflecting its status as part of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the Lombard invasions reshaped political boundaries.