This week we talk about Forlì and its art in just three minutes reading time!

Founded by the Romans in the II century with the name of Forum Livii, or the Foro di Livio, it represented the crossing point from the Roman via Consolare to the gates of today’s Tuscany.
Traces of historical history, from the Romanesque, to the Renaissance art to the simple and symmetrical lines of the Mussolini’s twenty years control.

The city center is all visitable on foot without public transports. Certainly the beautiful Piazza Saffi represents the starting point and arrival of any tour of Forlì, being one of the most beautiful and largest in Italy. From this position, even just a glance, we notice three tall buildings that rise above the town: the Civic Tower, or clock tower, Forlì’s cathedral bell tower and San Mercuriale‘s one, belonging to the same name Cathedral, which can still be visited today.

ph. Perkele at Italian Wikipedia

The city, thanks to the control of the Ordelaffi family for about two centuries, has been enriched with prestigious palaces which can be admired along the streets of the historical center, particularly along Corso Garibaldi and Via P. Maroncelli.

The same Pino Ordelaffi III is responsible for the fortification of the fortress of Ravaldino, today named after Caterina Sforza and became the prison of Forlì, although no longer visitable.  Interesting from an architectural point of view, is also one of the ancient gates of Forlì, the last one left standing, Porta Schiavonia, along the road to Faenza.

Porta Schiavonia

Of particular importance are also the churches of Forlì:
we invite you to discover the baroque architecture of two prestigious monuments, recently restored: the Church of Suffragio, on Piazza Saffi, and a few hundred meters away, the Church of San Filippo Neri, in via G. Saffi.

If you are a nature lover you need to visit the urban park “Franco Agosto”, the green lung of Forlì, and famous throughout the whole of Romagna thanks to its cute bunnies (and some fat nutria).

MUSEUMS

ph by http://www.mostrefondazioneforli.it

Do you know Forlì has one of the most famous museum complexes in Emilia-Romagna?
If not it’s time to find it out!
The San Domenico Museums, built in the ancient seat of a deconsecrated church dating back to the XIIIth century, between restored cloisters and admirable frescoes, represent the perfect synthesis of hospitality and practicality. It is not a coincidence that in recent years the rooms of Forlì have hosted international art exhibitions, from Silvestro Lega and the Macchiaioli painters, to photography by Elliot Ewitt or McCurry, to thematic exhibitions on Art Deco and Liberty.

Other museums within the city are Palazzo Romagnoli and its Verzocchi collection of twentieth century works, photographs, paintings and other testimonies of the century, or the Pinacoteca dedicated to the famous 15th century Forlì painter, Melozzo da Forlì. Here are works by Guercino, Cagnacci, Sacchi, Barbieri, Serra, Cignani, all great authors of the six-eighteenth century, and much more. Another interesting permanent exhibition is the Risorgimento museum of Palazzo Gaddi, in which we find finds dating back to the Napoleonic age, as well as the Second World War. The memorabilia of Piero Maroncelli, Achille Cantoni and Aurelio Saffi are curious.

But the list of museums does not end here, if you are curious to learn more, here are all the museums of Forlì.

OUTSIDE THE CITY

If you are eager to move inland to Forlì know that in any geographical direction you will move your steps you can find something really interesting!

A few kilometers from the city center, in the direction of Cesena, you can in fact find Forlimpopoli. The respective squares are now joined by a cycle path that allows you to move comfortably by bike. Birthtown of Artusi (the creator of the Italian cuisine) organizes important annual events on the territory such as the Artusiana Festival, in honor of Pellegrino Artusi in early summer, or the Segavecchia in late March, but in general it is beautiful all the year.

What Romagna would be without a good glass of wine a piadina? Bertinoro, the terrace of Romagna, will offer you both, a few km from the center of Forlì in the direction of Cesena. If instead you are lovers of relax and warm waters the proposals of the territory are two: Castrocaro Terme and Fratta Terme (fraction of Bertinoro). The first, certainly more noble, hosts every year the Festival of Music of Castrocaro, another opportunity to immerse yourself in relaxing thermal waters.

HOW TO GET TO FORLI’

BY CAR
Coming from the north take the A14 (Bologna – Bari – Taranto), and you will find the Forlì exit at 65 km from Bologna, 82 Km from the A1 (Milan – Naples)
Coming from SOUTH are 130 km of A14 from Ancona.
Coming from Florence it is possible to follow the highway from Bologna which, for mountain lovers, cross the Passo del Muraglione, thus reducing time and costs

BY PLANE
Once the prosperous L.Ridolfi airport has certainly seen better times. Today the flights, reduced to the bone, allow you to move on Italian territory and little more.

BY TRAIN
Forlì has its own railway station on the Adriatic line; therefore, connections with Intercity trains are available to all major cities. From Bologna, travel time is about 50 minutes using a simple regional train.