The Roman toponym "Forum Livii" should not trick the curious tourist about its date and history: the foundation date of the town is uncertain, some scholars would be inclined to suggest the 2nd century BC, others a more recent date. The Celts and Gauls who integrated with the aboriginal population probably inhabited this area. Set at a strategic point along the Via Emilia, for a long time Forlì was an important agricultural centre, harvesting and selling a number of different products. It became a Ghibelline Republic in the 10th century and, in 1241, obtained the right to add the emblem of the Suevian eagle to its shield for the support it gave Federico II. Following this, it was passed on to the Montefeltro, then the Ordelaffi families and was incorporated into the Papal State during the first few years of 1500. It then had to wait for the arrival of the Napoleonic troupes before a long period of inactivity was finally interrupted. A large number of people joined the patriotic rebellions in 1831, among which the figure of Aurelio Saffi, who used all his strength to fight for the unity of Italy, stands out. This town is full of art and there are a number of religious buildings in the historical centre.

Cesena

Cesena has an ancient history. It was an Umbrian centre, before the roman colonization. When Romans occupied the Savio Valley, between the III and the II century B.C., they settled in Cesena. In this town the Emilia road made and still makes a large bend. The agricultural products of this territory were already famous two thousand years ago. Plinio, in the XIV book of Natural History, places the "Cesenate" (our "Sangiovese") among the most famous wines of the Empire. During the Comunale age, Cesena was theatre of hard conflicts. In 1357 Cia of Ubaldini, wife of Francesco Ordelaffi, Lord of Forlì and Capitain of People in Cesena, was forced to surrender, after defending the Fortress with a legendary bravery. So Cesena returned under the pontifical administration. Hundred years later (1377) the town had terrible days: Breton mercenary soldiers, paid by Pope Gregorio XI, set Cesena on fire, on the pretext of putting down a rebellion between soldiers and merchants.

The town, almost destroyed, was granted from Pope Urbano VI to Galeotto Malatesta. Under the rule of the Malatesta, Cesena flourished again: nowadays this is testified by the important Malatestas' monuments such as the Fortress and above all the extraordinary Malatestas' Library, treasure of architecture and European History, that was born under the rule of Malatesta Novello, refined humanist. With the death of Novello, in 1465, the domination ends. After a short domination of Cesare Borgia, at the beginning of 1500, Cesena returned under the Papal State (in fact Cesena is the birthplace of two Popes, Pio VI and Pio VII, and it adopted a third one, Pope Pio VIII. That is why this town is known to be "the town of three Popes"). Papal domination lasted for three centuries, until the unification of Italy.