Tempio Malatestiano

The Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini, Italy, is a church substantially rebuilt and reworked in the 15th century under the patronage of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta. The project included elements designed by Renaissance architect Leon Battista Alberti and stands as a distinctive example of early Renaissance patronage.

Visitors can see the classical-influenced façade and interior elements that combine medieval structure with Renaissance decoration and funerary art. The church contains the tomb and funerary commissions connected to the Malatesta family and features sculptural and architectural work from the mid-15th century.

The rebuilding was undertaken in the 15th century as part of Sigismondo Malatesta’s program to create a familial and civic memorial complex; Alberti’s involvement and the sculptural elements mark it as a significant Renaissance artistic enterprise.

The Tempio sits in the historic centre of Rimini on Italy’s Adriatic coast, within easy walking distance of the city’s main squares and Roman-era remains.

• Renaissance commission: The church represents an important Renaissance refurbishment of an earlier medieval church, commissioned by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta and involving Leon Battista Alberti.

What to See #

• Alberti façade: The façade designed by Leon Battista Alberti in the 15th century, an early Renaissance reinterpretation of a medieval church front executed for the Malatesta family.
• Malatesta tomb: The funerary monument and tomb of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, later patron of the church and central to its commissioning and design program.