Vibrant city and with a great range of tourist attractions, Cesena is surrounded by a rich landscape. It occupies a large area, from the first hills of the valley of the Savio river to the edge of the Adriatic Coast, from the charming villages, mountains, rivers and waterfalls of the Casentinesi Forests natural park to the plain of Ravenna and Rimini.
The city has Umbro-Etruscan origins and has been especially prosperous under the Malatesta family (1378-1465), who gave the city centre its present appearance. The family also funded the construction of the superb Malatestiana Library, the only example of a monastic humanist library with a perfectly preserved building, furniture and book collection. The library was included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Visitors shouldn’t miss the Benedectine abbey of St Maria del Monte, the Malatesta fortress and its memorial park located in the heart of the old city centre.
Many squares, pedestrian and cycle paths, public gardens, cloisters, small courtyards and alleys make the historic centre a very welcoming place. The atmosphere is vibrant and relaxing, thanks to the numerous cafes, shops, typical restaurants and craft shops, and a walk through the city will unveil some art galleries, such as the Comunale gallery and Ex Pescheria gallery. On the Lizzano hills, Villa Silvia-Carducci hosts Musicalia, a museum entirely dedicated to mechanical music, unique in Italy.
Cesena, l'emozione del viaggio
Here we find a branch of the University of Bologna. The Cesena Campus has a specialization linked to the School of Architecture, Computer engineering, Clinical and community psychology and Physiotherapy. The territory has numerous industrial research laboratories, including the Ciclope, a unique structure of its kind and located in the Municipality of Predappio, inside a former aircraft factory (Caproni Galleries).
Cesena keeps a strong hold on agriculture and gastronomy – sectors that have always been important to the city’s economy. The main sectors of its economy belong to areas of specialization including agribusiness (Orogel based here), service and social innovation (there are many social cooperatives in the territory), aerospace (the presence of the ENAV Academy has allowed the construction of a hub connected to aeronautics, with research support structures). The presence of the Technogym headquarters makes this territory part of what is called the Wellness Valley.
The territory is equipped with a system of public transport which connects Cesena to Bologna, to the coast, in particular the city of Cesenatico which is the province's outlet to the sea, or to the mountainous areas with real gems such as the Acquacheta waterfalls, the Ridracoli dam or the village of Cusercoli.
Birthplace of the great cyclist Marco Pantani, the historic centre comes alive even more during the many initiatives that take place in the city every season. The feast of St John (24th of June) showcases an ethnic and crafts markets, and the International Street Food Festival, organised by Slow Food, promotes food from all over the world. During the summer months the streets and squares of the city become open air cinemas, with the Piazze di Cinema festival.
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