The church, known to the people of Rimini as Santa Rita from the image that is venerated there, owes its present form to the Lateran Canons Regulars who settled there in 1464. The opening of the “strada nuova” (new road), which linked the church complex to the heart of the city, can also be traced back to their enterprise.
Traces of the original layout, dating back to the 13th century, can be seen on the outside of the church, which was formerly flanked by a monastery; this developed around the cloister, which was damaged by bombing during World War II and still retains parts of the 15th century.
Inside, valuable works from the late 16th century can be admired: scenes from the life of San Marino painted on canvases by Giorgio Picchi from the Marche region and in the frescoes of the vaults, attributed sometimes to Picchi himself and sometimes to Bartolomeo Cesi from Bologna, and the Saint Michael Archangel vanquishing the devil by the local Giovanni Laurentini known as l’Arrigoni. A German sculptor from the early 16th century is attributed the remarkable wooden crucifix above one of the side altars.
The baroque plaster sculpture group by Antonio Trentanove commemorates the passage of Pope Pius VI to Rimini in 1784.
A rare example of the art of marquetry is the splendid wooden choir from the end of the 15th century, consisting of 22 walnut seats, the work of craftsmen from Veneto or Modena. On the backs, divided into two registers, are depicted city views, perhaps of Rimini at the time, and delightful still lives.
