Riccione Art Nouveau: the secret tale of villas between sea and gardens

Riccione Liberty: the secret tale of villas between sea and gardens

Between belvedere turrets, floral friezes and parks that smell of the sea, Riccione's historic villas tell the story of the golden age of bourgeois holidaying.

A slow itinerary, to be experienced at a walking pace, reveals the city in a different light: the 'Green Pearl' as a treasure trove of memories and elegant architecture, suspended between history and nature.

 

When the sun plays hiding in the clouds and the Adriatic merges with the blue sky, Riccione speaks with the voice of memory. Far from the hubbub of the beach, the tree-lined avenues guard the traces of a city that between the 19th and early 20th century became a summer retreat for the great families, attracted by the gentle, sinuous style of Art Nouveau.

The ideal route starts from Villa Franceschi (viale Gorizia, 2), sober in its lines but enchanting in its floral details and belvedere turret. Now home to the Municipal Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, it houses works from the 20th century and the current art scene.

 

Not far away is the verdant Villa Lodi Fé, now John Paul II Park. Its English-style garden, a masterpiece of landscaping, invites one to lose oneself among patches of shrubs, paths and seasonal scents. Until 12 April 2026, the park is transformed into 'The Tulip Park', bringing a touch of Dutch spring to the heart of the city. Immediately afterwards, from 1 to 3 May, it will host 'The Smanèt Spring Market', an open-air gallery of art, design and creative handicrafts, a prelude to the long Republic Day bridge.

 

Continuing towards the sea, at no. 31 Viale Milano, we come to Villa Mussolini: a sober residence overlooking the Adriatic, with a turret and garden, now the venue for important exhibitions and events of international scope. The park will host "Wanderlust - Bloom Edition", an event dedicated to wellness, creativity and authentic flavours, in its summer version from 24 to 26 July.

 

The route continues through the city's most elegant streets: Villa Antolini, architect Vucetich's masterpiece from 1923, Villa Bella on the corner of Viale Milano and Via Baracca, and the Art Nouveau facades of the Hotel Des Bains (1908) and the Grand Hotel (1928) on Viale Gramsci, next to the turret of Villa Martinelli Soleri (1877). This is followed by the Pensione Florenza on viale Trento Trieste, the 1930s Hotel de la Ville on via Spalato, up to Villa Pullè on viale Diaz and, finally, to the heart of viale Ceccarini, where the Villino Graziosi (1932) and Villa Serafini, an elegant residence from the 1920s, can be admired.

Riccione thus reveals its Art Nouveau soul: a journey through art, culture and beauty, where each villa becomes the voice of a memory that lives on among the sea and gardens.