This impressive renaissance style palace was built between 1610 and 1614 by the Riminese lawyer Alessandro Gambalunga and named after him. Upon his death in 1619, he left his book collection and his palace to the city. Gambalunga Library became the first public library in Italy - run by the public authorities and open to the public. Today, it is one of the most important archives in Italy with over 226,000 books, including 60,000 rare ones, 1,350 codices, 6,000 prints, ca. 2,400 periodicals, as well as cd-roms, audio cassettes, and films.

During the fascist period, on the top floor of the Gambalunga Palace above one of the most prestigious libraries there was a secondary school. And not just any ordinary school, but the one which young Federico Fellini attended. Think of it when you will be watching the school scenes in Amarcord next time!

The Gambalunga Palace has one more connection to Fellini. Cineteca, which is a special part of the library founded in 1987, documents and promotes the cinematographic culture, in particular that of Rimini. Of course, there is a whole section there dedicated to Federico Fellini and his works. After the dissolution of the "Federico Fellini Foundation" association in 2015, Cineteca acquired its archive, consisting not only of drawings and posters, but also of manuscripts, typescripts, documents from the set, scripts, scores and audiovisual material.

Sources: Wikipedia, https://www.visit-rimini.com/general-sightseeing/the-gambalunga-library/, https://www.bibliotecagambalunga.it/

Photo by Il Malatestiano, https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palazzo_Gambalunga,_Rimini_Italy.JPG#mw-jump-to-license