Cesena

Related Topics:
Cesena :: Cesenatico

Cesena (ancient Caesena) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.

History

Cesena was originally an Umbrian or Etruscan town. After a brief spell under Gaulish rule, it was taken over by Romans in the 3rd century BCE. It was a garrison town of strategic importance which was destroyed in the wars between Marius and Sulla. Pliny mentions the wines of Cesena as among the best.

Cesena was on the border that the Exarchate of Ravenna shared with the Lombards. It was presented to the Papacy by its Frankish conqueror in 754 CE and passed back and forth between the popes and the archbishops of Ravenna, was briefly a communal republic 1183 - 1198 and was long contested between popes and Holy Roman Emperors a fief held sometimes by the Malatesta, sometimes directly held by the papacy, not without resistance.

The brief rule by the Forlivese Ordelaffi was crushed in 1357 by the Papal troops led by Cardinal Gil de Albornoz: the heroic defense of the town by Cia degli Ordelaffi, wife of the Lord of Forlì, against besieging Papal troops was ultimately unsuccessful.

The little comune revolted again in 1377. This time it was recaptured by Breton troops of Giovanni Acuto (the English-born condottiere John Hawkwood) under the command of Robert, Cardinal of Geneva, (later antipope Clement VII): the latter, acting as the legate of Pope Gregory XI, directed the savage murder of thousands of civilians, an atrocity by the rules of war at the time that earned the label the "Cesena Bloodbath" and the cardinal the "butcher of Cesena". The following year what remained of Cesena was assigned by the new pope Urban VI to Galeotto I Malatesta.

During the period 1379-1465 the city recovered and prospered under the Malatesta, who rebuilt the castle (called Rocca Malatestiana) overlooking the town. The Malatestiana Library, built by near the castle by Malatesta Novello (1429), is considered a fine example of a Renaissance library and holds many valuable manuscripts.

After Novello's death (1465), Cesena returned to direct Papal control, but was again seized by a local seignor, Cesare Borgia, in 1500. The city was elevated to capital of his powerful though short-lived duchy.

Cesean subsequently turned into a secondary city of the Papal States. In the 18th and 19th centuries Cesena gave births to two popes, Pope Pius VI and Pope Pius VII, and once had Pope Pius VIII as bishop, gaining the "city of the three popes" title. During the Napoleonic Wars it was stripped of numerous monasteries and churches. Some of its citizens had notable roles in the unification of Italy, in second half of the 19th century.

During World War II Cesena was near the Gothic Line, which passed on the Appennini near the city, and suffered heavily for bombings.

In 1992 it was elevated to the rank of co-capital of province, together with Forlì.

Main sights

Cesena's monuments include:

the Rocca Malatestiana (castle), built by Cardinal Albornoz (from 1380) over a pre-existing edifice which had hosted, among the others, Frederick Barbarossa and his nephew Frederick II. It was completed by the Papal governor Lorenzo Zane in 1480, and was used by Cesare Borgia as jail for Caterina Sforza. It has octagonal plant, with two main towers, the higher maschio and the lower foemina
the Biblioteca Malatestiana, the first public library in Italy.
the Gothic Cathedral (completed around 1500).

Economy

Cesena's industry centers on agriculture, handicrafts, and tourism.

Bounding communes

Fractions

Acquarola, Aie, Bagnile, Borello, Borgo delle Rose, Borgo Paglia, Botteghino, Budrio, Bulgaria, Bulgarnò, Calisese, Calabrina, Capannaguzzo, Carpineta, Casalbono, Casale, Case Castagnoli, Case Frini, Case Gentili, Case Missiroli, Case Scuola Vecchia, Celincordia, Celletta, Diegaro, Formignano, Gattolino, Gualdo, Il Trebbo, Lizzano, Luogoraro, Luzzena, Macerone, Madonna dell'Olivo, Martorano, Massa, Molino Cento, Monte Aguzzo, Monte Vecchio, Montereale, Monticino, Oriola, Osteria di Piavola, Paderno, Pievesestina, Pioppa, Ponte Abbadesse, Ponte Pietra, Pontecucco, Provezza, Rio Eremo, Rio Marano, Ronta, Roversano, Ruffio, Saiano, San Carlo, San Cristoforo, San Demetrio, San Giorgio, San Mamante, San Martino in Fiume, San Matteo, San Tomaso, San Vittore, Santa Lucia, Sant'Andrea in Bagnolo, Settecrociari, Tessello, Tipano, Torre del Moro, Trebbo, Valdinoce, Villa Calabra, Villa Casone.

External links