Forlì

Ancient era

The area around Forlì has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The nearby archaeological site of Ca' Belvedere at Monte Poggiolo, in the territory of Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole, has yielded stone artefacts dating to around 800,000–900,000 years ago, among the oldest evidence of human presence in Europe.

Forlì itself originated as the Roman settlement of Forum Livii, established in connection with the Via Aemilia. The precise date of its foundation remains uncertain. The traditional date of around 188 BC has been proposed by some historians, while others place its foundation later, during the time of Julius Caesar. Local research rejects the older attribution to Marcus Livius Salinator and regards the identity of the founder as uncertain.

Middle Ages

Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Forlì became part of the successive political entities that controlled Romagna, including the Ostrogothic Kingdom, the Byzantine territories of the Exarchate of Ravenna, and the Lombard and Frankish realms. By the late 9th century the city was governing itself as a republic, traditionally dated to 889, and increasingly aligned itself with the Ghibelline side in its conflicts with papal authority.

During the 13th century Forlì became one of the principal Ghibelline strongholds in Romagna. In 1282 the city resisted a French army sent by Pope Martin IV; the battle is remembered in Dante's Inferno. After the collapse of Hohenstaufen power, Guido da Montefeltro took refuge in Forlì and served as capitano del popolo.

At the beginning of the 14th century, the Ordelaffi emerged as the dominant family in Forlì. Their rule was interrupted several times by papal intervention, but the family retained control over the city for much of the period from 1302 to the late 15th century. Scarpetta Ordelaffi hosted Dante in Forlì in 1303, while later members of the family fought repeatedly against papal attempts to reassert direct control over Romagna.

Renaissance and early modern period

The best-known Ordelaffi ruler was Pino III Ordelaffi, lord of Forlì from 1466 to 1480. During his rule the city's fortifications and public buildings were expanded and the arts were supported. After his death, political instability allowed Pope Sixtus IV to impose his nephew Girolamo Riario as lord of Forlì. Riario married Caterina Sforza, who became one of the most prominent figures in the city's history.

Caterina Sforza defended Forlì during the siege of 1488 and remained its ruler until the city was conquered by Cesare Borgia in January 1500. After a brief restoration of Ordelaffi rule in 1503–1504, Forlì was incorporated into the Papal States and lost its political independence.

For the following three centuries Forlì remained under papal rule. The period saw less political upheaval but continued artistic and scientific activity. The city was associated with painters such as Carlo Cignani and with the physician Giovanni Battista Morgagni, while architect Giuseppe Merenda designed or remodelled a number of churches and palaces.

Napoleonic period and the Risorgimento

French troops entered Forlì in June 1796 during the French Revolutionary Wars, and Napoleon visited the city on 4 February 1797. The Napoleonic administrative reorganisation placed Forlì within the Department of Rubicon.

After the Restoration, Forlì returned to papal rule. The city subsequently became involved in the political movements of the Risorgimento, with local participation in the uprisings of 1821, 1831 and 1848 and in the movement for Italian unification. Among the city's leading political figures was Aurelio Saffi, a member of the triumvirate of the Roman Republic of 1849.

20th century and World War II

Following Italian unification, Forlì developed as an agricultural, commercial and industrial centre. Its economy remained closely linked to agriculture, while labour disputes and agrarian struggles contributed to the growth of republican, socialist and Catholic organisations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Fascist regime profoundly altered the urban landscape. A new monumental axis was developed between the railway station and the historic centre, particularly along today's Viale della Libertà and around the Piazzale della Vittoria. A series of public, educational and sporting buildings were constructed in rationalist and monumental styles.

During World War II, Forlì suffered repeated Allied bombing and extensive destruction. During the German retreat in November 1944, several major buildings and monuments were destroyed or damaged, including the civic tower, the cathedral bell tower, the clock tower and the Church of San Biagio. The city was liberated on 9 November 1944 by Allied forces together with formations of the local Resistance.

After the war, Forlì underwent reconstruction and a period of economic recovery. The city subsequently developed a diversified economy based on manufacturing, agriculture, commerce and services, while strengthening its cultural and university institutions.

Territorial subdivisions

Forlì is divided into territorial subdivisions, or frazioni.

Villafranca di Forlì

Villafranca di Forlì is a frazione in the northern part of the municipality, west of the main urban area and near the Montone. It is also the location of a small recreational airfield used for ultralight and model aircraft activities.

Immigration

As of 2025, immigrants make up 16.3% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Romania, Albania, Morocco, China, and Ukraine.

Foreign-born population (2025)

Country of birth	Population
Romania	2,534
Albania	2,442
Morocco	1,789
China	1,731
Ukraine	940
Burkina Faso	736
Bangladesh	624
North Macedonia	579
Nigeria	538
Tunisia	529
Senegal	525
Moldova	435
Pakistan	371
Poland	337
Ivory Coast	307

Piazza Aurelio Saffi

Piazza Aurelio Saffi is the principal square in the historic centre and one of the city's main civic spaces. It is dominated by a statue of Aurelio Saffi, one of the leading republican figures of the Risorgimento.

The square is surrounded by important historic buildings, including the Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo Albertini, the Palazzo del Podestà and the Abbey of San Mercuriale.

Abbey of San Mercuriale

The Abbey of San Mercuriale, on Piazza Aurelio Saffi, is one of the symbols of Forlì and the city's best-known religious monument. Built between 1178 and 1181 on the remains of an earlier church dedicated to Saint Stephen, it is an important example of Romanesque Lombard architecture in Romagna.

Its Lombard-style bell tower rises more than 70 m (230 ft) above the square. The church contains several notable works of art, including the 1466 funeral monument of Barbara Manfredi by Francesco di Simone Ferrucci and paintings by Marco Palmezzano.

Cathedral of the Holy Cross

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Cattedrale di Santa Croce) is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Forlì-Bertinoro. It is documented from the 10th century and was rebuilt following a fire in the second half of the 12th century. The building was extensively remodelled in the 15th century and later almost completely reconstructed in the 19th century, with the present church consecrated in 1890.

The cathedral contains the chapel of the Madonna del Fuoco, the city's principal Marian devotion. According to tradition, on 4 February 1428 an image of the Virgin on paper survived a fire that destroyed a nearby school. The image was subsequently transferred to the cathedral and became the focus of the annual Feast of the Madonna del Fuoco.

Church of San Biagio

The former Church of San Biagio was one of Forlì's historic religious buildings. The earlier church was destroyed by bombing in 1944 and rebuilt in 1953. It had contained the Feo Chapel, decorated by Melozzo da Forlì and Marco Palmezzano, as well as an Immaculate Conception by Guido Reni.

Church of San Giacomo Apostolo

San Giacomo Apostolo, Forlì is part of the Dominican complex founded in Forlì in the first half of the 13th century. The church was remodelled over the following centuries and extensively renovated in modern times. It is now integrated into the cultural complex of San Domenico and is used for exhibitions and cultural events.

Military architecture

Museums

Forlì has an extensive municipal museum network. The main institutions include the Museo Civico San Domenico, which houses the Civic Art Gallery; Palazzo Romagnoli and its 20th-century collections; the Museo Romagnolo del Teatro; the Museo del Risorgimento; and the Casa Museo Villa Saffi. Other museums include the Antonio Santarelli Archaeological Museum and specialist collections.

The San Domenico museum complex originated as a Dominican convent founded in the 13th century. Its collections include works by Beato Angelico, Lorenzo di Credi, Marco Palmezzano and Antonio Canova, while the Verzocchi Collection contains 70 paintings on the theme of work in 20th-century Italian art. The complex also hosts major temporary exhibitions.

Fascist and rationalist architecture

Forlì contains one of the most significant concentrations of interwar public architecture in Emilia-Romagna. During the 1930s the area between the railway station and the historic centre was redesigned around Viale della Libertà and Piazzale della Vittoria, with schools, administrative buildings and sporting facilities constructed in monumental and rationalist forms.

Monument to the Fallen

The Monument to the Fallen of the First World War in Piazzale della Vittoria was designed by Cesare Bazzani and built in 1932. It consists of a 22-metre Doric honorary column clad in stone from Trani, surmounted by a bronze representation of Victory. Two large side altars are decorated with reliefs symbolising attack, defence, sacrifice and triumph.

Parks

Twin towns – sister cities

Forlì is twinned with:

• Aveiro, Portugal
• Bourges, France
• Peterborough, United Kingdom
• Szolnok, Hungary
• Płock, Poland
• Elektrėnai, Lithuania
• Foggia, Italy

The municipality maintains an administrative unit responsible for relations with twin and partner cities and for international cooperation projects.