Rimini was founded by the Romans in 268 BC as a colony and became a Municipium in 90 BC. In 359, it hosted an important council called by Emperor Constantius II. Conquered by the Goths, it later became part of the Byzantine Exarchate under the Eastern Roman Empire. It passed to the Lombards and then came under papal control in the 8th century. In 1157, it gained municipal autonomy from Frederick Barbarossa and the Pope. Between the 13th and 16th centuries, it flourished under the rule of the Malatesta family, patrons of the arts who transformed Rimini into a cultural and artistic hub. It was later governed by Cesare Borgia and the Republic of Venice before returning to the Papal States. In 1860, it played a key role in the patriotic movements that led to its annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.