Chiesa di San Fortunato (Abbazia di Scolca)

On Covignano hill above Rimini, the Church of San Fortunato is the surviving church of the former Scolca Abbey. The complex was founded in the Malatesta era and passed from Augustinian to Olivetan care; the church preserves a Vasari altarpiece and views over the plain.

Why it matters

The municipal heritage register identifies San Fortunato with the former Abbey of Santa Maria Annunziata Nuova di Scolca. Its history connects Malatesta patronage with the religious communities that shaped the countryside around Rimini. The church preserves an important artwork and remains a landmark on the hill above the city.

What to notice

The façade retains the coats of arms of Roberto Malatesta, while the coffered ceiling inside centres on the arms of Carlo Malatesta. Giorgio Vasari's Adorazione dei Magi, painted for the monks in 1548, is preserved in the choir. Two sixteenth-century side chapels survive; one contains frescoes by Girolamo Marchesi da Cotignola. Older trees stand in the courtyard, part of the church's setting on Covignano.

Context and history

The abbey was founded in 1418 through a donation by Carlo Malatesta. Its community passed from the Augustinians to the Olivetan Benedictines, who remained until the Napoleonic suppressions. The parish title of San Fortunato was transferred to the church from a community in the valley below. The complex suffered damage during the Second World War, leaving the church as its principal surviving part.