Province of Forlì-Cesena, Italy: Towns & Things to Do

Until 1992 this was simply the province of Forlì, and it stretched all the way to Rimini; when the Rimini district broke away to form its own province, what was left took the double name, though Cesena was only formally recognised as a joint capital on 30 January 2024. Its 30 municipalities sit in Emilia-Romagna on a slanting band that begins at the Adriatic shore and climbs to the ridge along the Tuscan border, above Arezzo and Florence.

Forlì and Cesena split the territory into two halves of fifteen towns each, and they are worth treating as two separate cities rather than a single stop. Cesenatico is the seaside piece, built around its canal harbour; a little further on, Savignano sul Rubicone takes its name from the river Caesar is said to have crossed. Inland the villages shrink fast, down to fewer than 800 residents, and the road turns Apennine.

Forlì-Cesena

Towns in the province of Forlì-Cesena

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The top 10 places in Forlì-Cesena

Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →

Snowy view of Piazza Aurelio Saffi with statue in Forlì, Italy

1 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries Chiesa del Corpus Domini 📍 Forlì 18th-century church in Forlì on the Duomo's square, with three Gandolfi canvases and a wooden 13th-century Madonna.

View of the Ponte Vecchio bridge and gateway in Cesena, Italy.

2 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries Chiesa di San Domenico 📍 Cesena Cesena church built from 1706 over an older one, whose two cloisters survive.

3 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries Chiesa di San Francesco Regis 📍 Forlì Neoclassical church in Forlì from 1772, built with materials from San Francesco Grande, decorated by Cavazzoni.

Forlì-Cesena and around, on the map

What's around

Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.

🍝 At the table: Emilia-Romagna

All typical dishes →

First course

Tagliatelle al Ragù egg tagliatelle with meat ragù, soffritto and tomato

Ribbons of egg pasta, meat ragù and soffritto: the real bolognese has had a recipe deposited at the Chamber of Commerce since 1982.

🌿 Cured meat DOP

Prosciutto di Parma pork leg and sea salt, aged at least twelve months

Only Italian pork and sea salt, aged for at least twelve months: Prosciutto di Parma has held Protected Designation of Origin status since 1996.

Bread and focaccia IGP

Coppia Ferrarese bread with a central knot and four horns, lard and sourdough

Flour, lard, oil and sourdough starter, a soft knot at the centre and four thin horns: coppia ferrarese has held Protected Geographical Indication status since 2001.

✨ Emilia-Romagna by theme

🏛️ UNESCO heritage 5 🍷 Food & wine 4 🏖️ Seaside 2

Tours, tickets and experiences

Province of Forlì-Cesena

Bookable on GetYourGuide

Upcoming events in Forlì-Cesena

Patron saint festival In 11 days 📍 San Mauro Pascoli

Feast of Saint Crispin

📅 Every year, on 25 October

On 25 October San Mauro Pascoli celebrates its patron Saint Crispin, protector of shoemakers; the town, which bears the name of poet Giovanni Pascoli, has re-enacted the trial over his father's murder every August since 2001.

Patron saint festival In 28 days 📍 Premilcuore

Feast of Saint Martin of Tours

📅 Every year, on 11 November

On 11 November Premilcuore celebrates its patron Saint Martin of Tours; the town preserves the Rocca di Premilcuore.

Patron saint festival In 42 days 📍 Bertinoro

Saint Catherine, patron of the land of the Rocca di Bertinoro

📅 Every year, on 25 November; the Diocese of Forlì-Bertinoro has the Madonna del Fuoco as its patron

Bertinoro celebrates Saint Catherine on 25 November. The Diocese of Forlì-Bertinoro, of which the town is part, instead has the Madonna del Fuoco as its patron, whose woodcut is kept in the Cathedral of Santa Croce in Forlì.