In the hushed region of Emilia-Romagna, north Italy, sits the commune and city of Cesena. This city of great architectural treasure and historical interest is situated at the foot of the Apennines on the River Savio, west of Rimini and south of Ravenna.
Cesena is hailed as among the few cities in the world that are able to preserve ancient buildings and monuments very well. Most, if not all, of the earliest structures in Cesena still have unspoiled paint. You can also hardly see walls and doorways that are decorated with a lot of graffiti.
Here is the list of the most popular tourist attractions in Cesena.
1. Abbey of St Maria del Monte
The Abbey of Santa Maria del Monte is an impressive building that is home to the Benedicine monastery. It is located on the hill of Spaziano and was built in year 1001 to 1026. This monastery houses the most extensive collection of the 5th century votive tables or ex-votos in Europe. The Abbey of Santa Maria del Monte is also known for organizing an antique book restoration workshop which is still operating up until the present days.
2. Rocca Malatestiana
The Rocca Malatestiana or Malatestian Fortress is a stronghold in Cesena that was founded over the place where the two pre-existing fortresses was located, one was made during the medieval age and the second one was constructed in the late Roman era. The Rocca Malatestiana’s construction was started in 1380 by Cardinal Albornoz and was finished in 1480 by the Papal governor Lorenzo Zane. The Rocca Malatestiana is known as among the most striking strongholds in Romagna. It has two main towers, the lower foemina or felame where the Museum of Agriculture is located and the higher maschio or male which hosts a permanent Malatestian Ceramics exhibition.
3. Piazza del Popolo, Cesena
The Popolo’s Square or Piazza del Popolo in Cesena offers some of the highly interesting sightseeing spots in the town. It can be found in the central area of Cesena. Some of the interesting spots that are worth visiting in Piazza del Popolo are the Masini’s Fountain or Fontana del Masini located at the center of the square as well as the Town Hall or Palazzo Comunale, the Loggetta Veneziana and the 15th century Rocchetta di Piazza that are situated in the southern part of the square. On the northern side of Piazza del Popolo stands the Church of St. Anna and St. Gioacchino or Chiesa dei Santi Anna e Gioacchino.
4. Biblioteca Malatestiana
The Biblioteca Malatestiana, also called the Malatestiana Library or Malatesta Novello Library, is a public library that was known as the first civic library in Europe. This humanistic-conventual library is the sole library of its kind in the world. The library’s codexes, structure and fittings which are composed of 58 desks are still intact since its opening over more than 550 years ago. The interior of the library highlights a geometric design which is considered a typical characteristic of the early Italian Renaissance. The Biblioteca Malatestiana has a collection of more than 400,000 books, more than 340 codexes which covers a variety of fields including Greek and Latin classics, medicines, religion and sciences, and 3200 manuscripts dating from the 16th century.
5. Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista
The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista or Duomo di Cesena, known in English as the Cesena Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic Church in Cesena that is devoted to Saint John the Baptist. The Cesena Cathedral was once the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Cesena before it became the Diocese of Cesena-Sarsina’s prelatic seat in 1986.
6. Art collection of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena
The Galleria dei dipinti antichi, translated in English as the Gallery of Antique Art, is a diminutive public collection display of the15th century to the 19th century artworks made by various artists from Emilia-Romagna. The artworks exhibited are the collection of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena, the proprietor of the saving bank Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena, which was gathered for around two to three decades already.
7. Alessandro Bonci Theatre
The Alessandro Bonci Theatre or Teatro Comunale Alessandro Bonci is one of the renowned opera houses in the city that is a known member of the European Route of Historic Theatres. It was built over the original site of the ancient Spada Theatre. The Alessandro Bonci Theatre was designed by architect Vincenzo Ghinelli. It was constructed on August 1843 and was opened on August 15, 1846. The Alessandro Bonci Theatre is specialy dedicated to the great tenor Alessandro Bonci from Cesena. The theater is popular for staging the best lyric and dramatic opera productions.
8. Palazzo Ghini
The Palazzo Ghini is a grand palace at Corso Sozzi, in the ancient center of Cesena. It is known as the most popular of the five palaces owned by the aristocratic Ghini family. Surrounding the palace once rest a couple of 3rd to 2nd centuries BC Roman buildings. This can be proved by the archeological finds discovered in the site. The Palazzo Ghini can easily be distinguished because of its impressive structure. It stands as the tallest of all the historic buildings adjacent to it. Outside the palace is a very huge exterior façade designed with putlog holes which indicates incompleteness. The courtyard facade of the palace is also popular for being one of the most evocative in the city. It has an impressive three-floor gallery and white stone columns.
9. Co-Cathedral of St. Vicinio
The Co-Cathedral of St. Vicinio is a Roman Catholic basilica in Cesena that serves as the main place of worship in Sarsina. It is also a co-cathedral of the Diocese of Cesena-Sarsina. The basilica was built over a pre-existing structure between the 10th and 11th century. It carries a Romanesque style and a typical Romanesque façade designed with different colors of bricks which are considered a proof of reconstruction and successive alterations. The church is dedicated to Vicinio who was the church Sarsinate’s first bishop.
10. Bagno Roberto Cesenatico
The Bagno Roberto Cesenatico, also known as the Bath Roberto or Roberto Bathroom, is one of the top visited sightseeing spots in Cesena that is located at the central area of the Villamarina district. It is known for being a reference of tourism in Romagna for over 50 years. The Bagno Roberto Cesenatico is also surrounded by the best hotels and the most interesting attractions in the district.
11. National Archaeological Museum of Sarsina
One of the amazing museums that house a wide collection of archeological discoveries from ancient Roman times like prehistoric Roman inscriptions is the National Archaeological Museum of Sarsina. This museum in Sarsina is currently housed in an ancient two-story palace that can be found in the historic center of the city, specifically in Via Cesio Sabino. It was founded in 1890 by Antonio Santarelli. When a necropolis was discovered in the Roman town of Pian di Bezzo between 1927 and 1939, the collection of the museum had grew even further giving light to different memorials and exhibitions.
12. Villa Silvia
Villa Silvia is a summer residence of the poet Giosuè Carducci. It is located in Lizzano, just nearby Cesena. This quiet and tranquil villa is enclosed by a striking park which offers a stunning view of the town. Today, Villa Silvia is one of the most visited villas in Cesena. Among the interesting areas in the villa that is now accessible to the visitors are the private rooms of the poet. In these rooms, visitors can be able to know the poet personally through his collection of books, different objects as well as items that he considered very valuable.
13. The Old Bridge
On the approximately exact site where the prehistoric Malatesta Bridge once stood, the old bridge was erected. The Malatesta Bridge was ravaged by the flood which had happened during the early years of the 18th century. With the support of Pope Clemente XII the old bridge was reconstructed in 1733. The construction was done by Ferdinando Fuga and Felice Facci under the supervision of Domenico Cipriani. The two ends of the bridge were built with a number of Istrian stone pillars. The old yet stunning bridge was ornamented with strips or reliefs which tells the architectural signature of Borboni.
14. San Biagio Monastery
The San Biagio Monastery is a monastery in Cesena that is now known as one of the town’s significant point of reference. It was built in the last years of the 14th century. It has a bell tower which was just added in 1650 and was later then modified in 1774 by Augustin Azzolini. The monastery once accommodated 69 nuns. When the monastery was closed in July 11, 1810, its history of decay then began. The structure was just reconstructed in 1860. During World War I, a certain area in the building was used for tobacco factory. The San Biagio Monastery now hosts some private houses and a number of important public office spaces including a cinema, a video- and audio-library, a restaurant, a Music School and the Town Art Gallery.
15. Palazzo del Ridotto
The Palazzo del Ridotto was constructed in 1466 by the order of Paolo II. It was completed only in 1472. The palace had also undergone reconstructions like for instance its bell tower, known as the Campanone, which was reconstructed by Cristoforo Branzanti in 1742 and by Sebastiano Sassi in 1775. The ground floor of Palazzo del Ridotto now serves as the site for the town art gallery where contemporary displays are being hosted while the first floor is currently used for public events and conventions.
16. Cappuccini Monastery
The Cappuccini Monastery is one of the major sights in the town. It stands on a hill which is located just a couple of minutes’ walk away from the historic center of the city. What makes Cappuccini Monastery unique from the other main attractions in the city is that it is relatively new as compared to the others. It was constructed in 1559 and was then enlarged in 1616. From the Montanara gate, you can walk down for a couple of meters through Garampa until you reach the main square where you can enjoy a very picturesque landscape.
17. Chiesa Dei Servi
The Chiesa Dei Servi, also known in English as the Servants’ Church, is one of the ancient churches in Cesena. The original structure of the church can be traced back to the period before the 13th century. The Chiesa Dei Servi was once the residence of the order of “Mary’s Servants”. The church was reconstructed in 1483 after it was devastated by an earthquake. In 1512, the cupola was then added.
18. Saint Agostino’s Church
The Saint Agostino’s Church was built over the site where the former monastery of Observant once stood. When Violante Malatesta donated some amount of money in 1457 to a group of Augustinian monks, the church and the convent were remodeled and redecorated. Fifteenth century Italian painter Antonio Aleotti designed the chapel’s frescoes in 1495. In 1797, Saint Agostino’s Church was declared a parochial church. The property of the monastery was then divided in between the Town and the Episcopal Curia.
19. Palazzo Comunale
The Palazzo Comunale, translated in English as the Town Hall, is a prehistoric building in Cesena that is located on the point where the wall and via Emilia meet. It was founded during the 14th century through the order given by cardinal Albornoz. Palazzo Comunale is composts of two buildings, namely; the palatium vetus and the palatium novum. Like any other monumental structures in Cesena, the Palazzo Comunale had also undergone a series of reconstructions. The complex was also once the official place of residence of the governor.
20. Masini Fountain
The Masini Fountain was built in 1452 by the order of Novello Malatesta. The construction of the fountain was financed with the same funds set aside for the construction of the town walls. In the later part of the 16th century, Tomaso Laureti carried the order of Palermo to do the extension of the aqueduct.
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