Tempietto di Sant'Antonio da Padova

The Tempietto di Sant'Antonio da Padova in Rimini is an octagonal votive chapel associated with a tradition about the saint's preaching and a mule that bowed before the consecrated host.

Why it matters

The chapel commemorates one of Rimini's best-known stories about Saint Anthony, traditionally placed around 1227. Construction of a votive temple began in 1518 and was probably completed in 1532. The building has been reconstructed after earthquakes while retaining its place in the city's religious memory.

What to notice

The octagonal chapel is clad in pale marble and Istrian stone and surrounded by columns. Beneath the altar is a Romanesque-capital column venerated as the one from which Saint Anthony preached. The form visible today reflects rebuilding after the 1672 earthquake, when salvaged material was combined with new stone.

Context and history

The 1672 earthquake left only part of the chapel standing. Reconstruction began around 1678 and produced the Baroque octagon. Later repairs followed earthquake damage in 1916, work in the 1920s and consolidation of the dome in the 1980s. A conservation campaign completed in 2024 addressed the roof, surfaces, friezes, column and vault.