Off-the-beaten-track: Cesena, Emilia Romagna

I have a penchant for off-the-radar places in Italy and when I met Roberta this past October, I invited her to share some local insights into her city, Cesena. I’ll let Roberta lead us through this charming place she now calls home.

It’s common knowledge that the best way to discover a city is having a local by your side. Honestly, I am not a native Cesenate, but, after living here for 20 years, I think that I can be considered one.

I got to know this city by growing up here, and going to places and doing the things that locals do. Real Romagnoli passed on their view of Cesena to me and now I’ll do my best to offer you a brief and enjoyable guide to this city.

Cesena, Emilia Romagna

Cesena is located  in the north-east of Italy, in the region of Emilia Romagna, south of Bologna and Ravenna and west of Rimini. You can easily get here from these cities by car or train in less than one hour.

Credit: Google Maps

Cesena was founded during the Roman Empire alongside one of the most important roads of the time, the Via Emilia that connects Rimini to Piacenza even to this day. On this road, Romans built a stronghold every 20 kilometers – that was the distance that a Roman soldier could walk in one day – and Cesena was one of these stronghold. Here are some sights not to miss when visiting Cesena.

Biblioteca Malatestiana

Cesena flourished and prospered during the Middle Ages under the Malatesta family. They built two of the symbols that represent the city today. The most important one is the Biblioteca Malatestiana (Malatestian Library) included in the Memory of the World Programme Register by UNESCO in 2005 thanks to the perfect preservation of its structure and its manuscripts.

Before being used as a library, it was a friar’s convent, so it looks like a church, with a central nave outlined by tall white columns on each side, in contrast with the red of cotto tiles of the floor and the green of the plaster. These were the colors of  the Malatesta family.

Rocca Malatestiana

The other symbol of Cesena is the Rocca Malatestiana that overlooks the city centre from the Colle Garampo. It is surrounded by Parco della Rimembranza (Park of  Recollection), a verdant green garden on different levels where children can joyfully play on sunny spring days – I have some good memories myself.

In 2012, a little restaurant opened just at the foot of the Maschio, the biggest tower of the castle. The owners offer some genuine local food, such us piadina with cold cuts or with rucola and squacquerone, and fresh drinks. In addition, during summer evenings, it hosts many events such as concerts or outdoor movies.

The ancient access to the Rocca is a fabulous staircase that starts exactly in the main square, Piazza del Popolo. The steps have a particularly reduced thickness because during Middle Ages, this staircase was used by knights on horses. Tip: Next to the staircase there is a loggia where you’ll find the Tourist Information Office.

Fontana Masini

In the middle of the square there is a big marble fountain, Fontana Masini, named after the architect that invented it in 1588. The legend says that the fountain was so beautiful that inhabitants of neighboring towns were mightily jealous that Francesco Masini’s hands were cut off in order to prevent him from creating other monuments similar to that. Piazza del Popolo is particularly lovely on Wednesday and Saturday mornings when a big open air market takes place and the square becomes vibrant and full of life.

Shopping along Corso Cavour

For those who love shopping, Corso Cavour is the road to see. At the beginning of the road you’ll find the Barriera, the ancient entrance gate to the city centre. Today, the Barriera is used by the locals as a meeting point for their Saturday afternoon city strolls. Tip: to enjoy one of the best pizza al taglio (sliced pizza) in town, head to the nearby Pizzeria Barriera.

Cathedral of Cesena

Not to miss is also the Cathedral of Cesena dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. For some decades Cesena was part of the Papal States and the first Malatesta who ruled the city was a bishop. A few meters from the Cathedral there is an interesting building that reminds us of this period, Palazzo del Ridotto, where you can see the sculpture of Pope Pius VI Braschi, who was actually born in Cesena.

Teatro Alessandro Bonci

Last but not least, Cesena is well known for hosting one of the theaters with the best acoustic in Europe: the Teatro Alessandro Bonci, which is really worth a visit especially for its wonderful interiors and frescoes.

Nightlife tip: Next to Teatro Bonci you’ll find a smaller theatre, Teatro Verdi, that during the weekends becomes a popular disco. In addition to that, in the area surrounding the two theaters, there are many bars and pubs which offer a wide variety of drinks and cocktails, making it a fabulous place to enjoy a great night out with friends.

Have you been to Cesena? Share your experience with us in the comments below.

Author’s Bio: Roberta was born in Latina (Lazio region), but when she was just few months old, she moved with her parents to different towns and cities around Italy. This made her develop a passion for traveling and discovering local cultures. Today Roberta works as a freelance translator and writer, and also collaborates with local newspapers.