Cattolica

Cattolica
Cattolica
	— Comune —
Comune di Cattolica
	; Coat of arms
	; Coat of arms
	Cattolica Location of Cattolica in Italy
	Coordinates: 43°58′N 12°44′E / 43.967°N 12.733°E
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Province	Rimini (RN)
Frazioni	Torconca
	Government
• Mayor	Marco Tamanti
	Area
• Total	5 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
	Population (June 30, 2007)
• Total	16,233
• Density	3,246.6/km2 (8,408.7/sq mi)
Demonym	Cattolichini
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	47841
Dialing code	0541
Patron saint	St. Pius V
Saint day	April 30
Website	Official website

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Cattolica is a town and comune in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 (2007) inhabitants. ^[1]

[edit] History

Archaeological excavations show that the area was already settled in Roman times.

Cattolica rose as a resting place for pilgrims who traveled the Bologna-Ancona-Rome route, on their way to the sanctuary of Loreto or to St. Peter's in Rome. In 1500 it counted more than twenty taverns and inns. Only from the second half of the 19th century the fishing industry became relevant in the economy of the town.

One of the first notable visitors to Cattolica's beach was Lucien Bonaparte, brother of the French Emperor, who preferred it to the noisy Rimini, in 1823. The town became an independent commune in 1896.

After the end of World War I the tourism industry became predominant.