An itinerary through the historic shops of Riccione
Riccione is a small jewel of the Rimini Riviera known for its sea, beach, trendy clubs and a thousand possibilities for entertainment.
Today we are going to talk about a Riccione that holds some of its treasures even in the historic shops of the city, an incredible itinerary where the artisan tradition is combined with the hospitality of Romagna.
Among the various historic shops located in the area, we have chosen three, different in terms of history, type of product and fun facts.
The journey begins with the Farmacia dell’Amarissimo in Viale Ceccarini, a place steeped in history that embodies the authenticity of Riccione.
Founded in 1912, this historic shop has been handed down for generations, adapting, modernising and inextricably intertwining itself with the development of the city, always remaining a point of reference for Riccione and its guests.
A curiosity is linked to its name.
In 1908, D’Annunzio, who combined his image as a poet and writer with that of a politician and fighter, raised his glass for a toast saying: “from Rome to the most bitter Adriatic Sea”.
The phrase became famous and the definition of “most bitter”, which is what amarissimo means, went down in history to indicate the domination of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary over the waters of the Adriatic and the lands of Istria and Dalmatia. Dr. Arnaldo Passerini, an admirer of the poet, at the time of the purchase of the Pharmacy in 1922, changed its name to “Farmacia dell’Amarissimo”.
And the rest is history!
The history of the hardware store Ferramenta Neri spans four generations before arriving at the present day.
It is a story that dates back to 1957, the years of post-war reconstruction, the great entrepreneurial ferment and the construction boom. At that time, Guido Rosa and his wife Maria Berardi had the intuition to start this commercial adventure, first in a small shop in Via Verdi where they lived while waiting for the building in Via Emilia to be built, where Ferramenta Neri is currently based.
Maria left her job as a cook to devote herself to this activity and so did Guido, one of the first sellers of candied fruit on the beach of Riccione. A challenge played and won by the Rosa family, who decided to call the business with the family nickname: Ferramenta Neri.
Today the business is now in its fourth generation, but in the meantime, the relationship that has been created over the years with customers has become one of friendship and confidence. A place where friends give advice, exchange words and emotions, not just objects.
The Ferramenta Neri in Via Emilia in Riccione continues to be like this: a shop, but also a point of reference for the whole city and above all advice, smiles and an empathy that had its beginning a long time ago.
The last stop on this itinerary takes us to Tony Calzature, a shoe store that was founded in 1971 and that Tony has transformed into a point of reference for the entire community.
Tony Calzature, now located in Viale Diaz, is a real institution for both the people of Riccione and tourists, a shop where one can buy shoes, listen to useful advice and above all, find a service that has become unusual in the era of disposables: the repair of footwear and accessories.
Today Tony the shoemaker is no longer with us, but everyone remembers him with great affection. Behind his gruff façade, Tony was gifted with a great sense of irony, so much so that with most of the customers he had established a friendship that went beyond the purely commercial one.
Tony’s passion has been handed down to his children Laura and Maurizio, who were born in the shop and who today continue to run the business with the same spirit as their father.
For all the info on the Historical Shops of the Rimini Riviera: https://botteghestoricheromagna.it/
