Rimini is entering the final decisive hours before the arrival of Pope Leo XIV, expected tomorrow, Saturday 22 August, for a visit that will bring a Pontiff back to the city 44 years after Saint John Paul II. The programme includes his arrival in the historic centre around 5pm, a Popemobile route from the Arch of Augustus to the Malatesta Temple, a meeting with vulnerable people in the Cathedral at 5.30pm and, around 6.30pm, Mass in the port area.
An imposing organisational operation will bring closures, checks and traffic restrictions. A vehicle red zone will be established around the celebration area, bordered by Via Beccadelli, Via Ramusio, Via Destra del Porto and Lungomare Tintori. Only authorised vehicles — emergency services, police and civil protection — will be allowed inside. Around it, a buffer zone with controlled mobility will be active, also accessible to residents and other authorised individuals.
A pass will be required to attend the Mass. Entry will be organised through three checkpoints, where bags and backpacks will also be inspected. The checkpoints will begin opening progressively from 1.45pm, and the beach area is expected to hold around 25,000 seats. Those without a pass will be able to follow the celebration on the giant screen at the Rotonda Lucio Battisti, until capacity is reached.
Attention is also focused on the historic centre, where the Pope is expected to arrive at the Arch of Augustus at 5pm. Leo XIV will travel along Corso d’Augusto, Piazza Tre Martiri and Via IV Novembre before reaching the Malatesta Temple. The public will be able to watch the procession from areas cordoned off by barriers, while access to the Cathedral will be reserved for invited guests.
To reach Rimini, travelling by train is recommended. In addition to regular services, special trains will run along the Cattolica-Rimini-Santarcangelo line. The Metromare service between Rimini and Riccione will also operate as usual, with departures every ten minutes, while no dedicated shuttle buses are planned for Piazzale Boscovich.
As for parking, those wishing to watch the procession in the city centre are advised to use the areas near the train station, the Tiberius Bridge and the Flaminia district. For the Mass, around 3,000 free parking spaces will be available in the Via Sacramora area, along with more than 1,000 spaces in Miramare, near Via Principe di Piemonte.
Particular attention will also be paid to what can be brought into the celebration area. Small backpacks and bags, smartphones, cameras, plastic water bottles and small handbag-sized umbrellas will be allowed. Sharp or blunt objects, glass, cans, metal water bottles, large backpacks and umbrellas, sprays and laser pointers will be banned. No storage facility will be provided for prohibited items.
Some specific restrictions will also apply: swimming will be banned from 8am to 11pm in the stretch of sea affected by the event, while from 1pm to 10pm the takeaway sale of drinks in glass containers will be prohibited within a 250-metre radius of Piazzale Boscovich and the Rotonda Lucio Battisti.
At the end of the Mass, dedicated routes will be set up to help the thousands of participants disperse towards the train station and parking areas, with further temporary traffic changes possible in the areas near the port.
