Cattolica (; ) is a town and comune in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 inhabitants as of 2007. 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 did 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 noisy Rimini, in 1823. The town became an independent commune in 1896. After the end of World War I the tourism industry became predominant. Main sights Church of San Apollinare (13th century) Torre Malatestiana (Malatesta tower) (1490) Museo della Regina di Cattolica archaeological museum S. Croce Gallery (16th century) Watchtower (now included in a closed disco) Le Navi, Aquarium of Cattolica People Cesare Pronti (1626–1708), painter Emilio Filippini (1870–1938), painter Guido Morganti (1891–1954), Righteous Among the Nations Egidio Renzi (1900–1944), martyr of Fosse Ardeatine Domenico Rasi (1924–1944), patriot Vanzio Spinelli (1924–1944), patriot Giuseppe Ricci,(1890-1972) politician Enrico Molari, motorcycle racer Giovanna Filippini, politician Eraldo Pecci, (1955) footballer Alberta Ferretti (1950), fashion designer Umberto Paolucci (1944), Director of Microsoft Europe Vincenzo Cecchini (1934), painter Samuele Bersani (1970), singer Guido Paolucci (1932-2006), doctor Gianluca Magi, writer Marco Simoncelli (1987–2011), motorcycle racer Giampiero Ticchi (1959), basketball coach Andrea Cinciarini, basketball player Luca Leardini, pilot Niccolò Antonelli, motorcycle racer Mauro Piani (1959), yachtsman Azzurra International relations Cattolica is twinned with: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Hodonín, Czech Republic Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France Faches-Thumesnil, France Debrecen, Hungary Events The feast of Stella Maris: fishing vessels and vongolaie leads in the midst of the sea, the statue of the Virgin Mary "Stella Maris", after a religious procession. The Festival of the flowers: since 1950s, Cattolica hosts a show of flower markets with many stalls along the streets of the city. The Pink Night, celebrated in town along the coast from Cattolica to Bellaria. It is a festival which is celebrated in June–July and is quite recent: the opportunity for all the shops, bars and restaurants adorn the premises of pink, with dancing to the beach and dive into the sea at midnight. The Fair of the ancient flavors of