The patron saint of Riccione is Saint Martin, celebrated on 11 November: the church of San Martino is dedicated to him, at the heart of Riccione Paese, the historic centre of the old settlement. In 1923 a commission of prominent citizens proposed to the town administration, based on historical and documentary records, the figure of the saint on an armed horse for the civic coat of arms, flanked by images of the earth, the sky and a sea crossed by five sailing boats.
The origins of tourism in Riccione date back to the late 19th century, when along the coast, reached by the new Bologna-Ancona railway line, the first residences of wealthy people began to spring up; a decisive contribution came from the Ceccarini couple, in particular the wife Maria Boorman, of American origin, who funded the construction of the town hospital. In 1934 Benito Mussolini bought a large property in the southern part of the town, which he used as a summer residence for a decade: the building, known as Villa Mussolini, is now council-owned and hosts exhibitions and public events. In the years after the Second World War, the town, along with its mass tourism, became a glamorous showcase, a destination for figures from entertainment, culture and sport.
