Cesena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cesena Cisêna  (Romagnol)
Comune
Comune di Cesena
Panorama of Cesena
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Province	Forlì-Cesena (FC)
Frazioni	see list
Area
• Total	249.47 km2 (96.32 sq mi)
Elevation	44 m (144 ft)
Population  (30-6-2017)
• Total	97,137
• Density	389.373/km2 (1,008.473/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Cesenate
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	47521 - 47522, 47023 (old)
Dialing code	0547
Patron saint	St. John the Baptist
Saint day	June 24

Coat of arms of Cesena on the façade of Palazzo Albornoz, the city hall

Piazza del Popolo in Cesena

The Biblioteca Malatestiana

The towers of the Rocca Malatestiana in Cesena

The Abbey of St Maria del Monte

Cesena is a cool city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It shares the title of capital with Forlì for the Province of Forlì-Cesena. You can find it near the Apennine Mountains, about 15 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. Around 97,000 people live here!

History of Cesena

Ancient Times

Cesena started as a town built by the Umbri or Etruscans. It was later called Caesena. After a short time under Gaulish rule, the Romans took over in the 3rd century BC. It was an important military town. It was even destroyed in wars between famous Roman leaders. The ancient writer Pliny said that Cesena's wines were among the best.

Medieval Period

For a long time, Cesena was on the border between two important areas: the Exarchate of Ravenna and the lands of the Lombards. In 754, a Frankish leader gave Cesena to the Pope. The city then went back and forth between the Popes and the archbishops of Ravenna. It was even a small republic for a short time (1183–1198).

Later, the city was often fought over by Popes and Holy Roman Emperors. In 1357, Papal troops took control after a long fight. The city rebelled again in 1377. Sadly, many civilians were harmed during this time.

Malatesta Family Rule

From 1379 to 1465, the city became strong and wealthy under the Malatesta family. They rebuilt the castle (called Rocca Malatestiana) that stands above the town. The Malatestiana Library, built by Malatesta Novello in 1429, is a great example of a Renaissance library. It still holds many valuable old books today.

Later History

After Malatesta Novello passed away in 1465, Cesena returned to the Papal States. But in 1500, Cesare Borgia took control. He made Cesena the capital of his powerful, but short-lived, duchy.

Cesena then became a less important city in the Papal States. However, two Popes, Pope Pius VI and Pope Pius VII, were born here. Another Pope, Pope Pius VIII, was once a bishop in Cesena. This earned Cesena the nickname "city of the three popes."

During the Napoleonic Wars, many monasteries and churches in Cesena were closed. Some people from Cesena helped with the unification of Italy in the 1800s.

Modern Times

During World War II, Cesena was close to the Gothic Line. This was a strong defense line in the Apennine Mountains. The city suffered a lot from bombing during the war.

In 1992, Cesena became a co-capital of its province, sharing the title with Forlì.

On July 30, 2015, something amazing happened in Cesena! 1,000 people gathered in a park to play the song "Learn to Fly" by the band Foo Fighters. They played guitars, basses, and drums all together. This group, called the Rockin' 1000, wanted to convince the band to play in Cesena. Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters' leader, responded with a video in Italian. He said the band would visit Cesena! They played a show there on November 3, 2015, at the Carisport arena.

Main Sights in Cesena

Cesena has many interesting places to visit:

• Abbey of St Maria del Monte: A beautiful old abbey.
• Malatestian Fortress (Rocca Malatestiana): This castle was built starting in 1380. It has two main towers, a taller one and a shorter one.
• Piazza del Popolo: The main square in the city.
• Malatestiana Library: This was the first public library in Europe. It's even listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme.
• Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist: The city's main church.
• Pinacoteca Comunale: An art gallery located in an old monastery.
• Art collection of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena: Another art collection, also in a former monastery.
• Teatro Alessandro Bonci: A historic theater.
• Palazzo Ghini: An old palace.
• Church of Sant'Agostino
• Church and Convent dell'Osservanza

Economy of Cesena

Cesena has a strong economy with several important areas:

• Agriculture: Especially fruits and vegetables, and making food products.
• Manufacturing: Making things like machinery, farm equipment, and construction tools.
• Services: This includes banking and tourism.

Some well-known companies based in Cesena are:

• Technogym (makes fitness equipment)
• Soilmec (makes construction equipment)
• Olidata (makes computers)
• Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena (a bank)

Transport in Cesena

The Cesena railway station opened in 1861. It is part of the Bologna–Ancona railway line. You can find it at Piazza Giorgio Sanguinetti, just northeast of the city center.

People from Cesena

Many interesting people have come from Cesena, including:

• Monty Banks (1897–1950), an Italian-born American actor and director.
• Alessandro Bonci (1870–1940), a famous opera singer.
• Nicoletta Braschi (born 1960), an Italian actress.
• Marco Pantani (1970–2004), a famous road cyclist.
• Pope Pius VI (1717–1799), who was Pope from 1775 to 1799.
• Pope Pius VII (1742–1823), who was Pope from 1800 to 1823.
• Lorenzo Savadori (born 1993), a motorcycle racer.
• Nicky Hayden (1981–2017), a Moto GP and Superbike pilot.
• Maurizio Ferrini (born 1953), a comedian and actor.

Neighbouring Towns

Cesena is surrounded by several other towns, including:

• Mercato Saraceno
• Cesenatico
• Cervia
• Ravenna
• Gambettola
• Montiano
• Longiano
• Roncofreddo
• Meldola
• Bertinoro
• Sarsina

Climate in Cesena

Images for kids

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  Panorama of Cesena

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  Flag of Cesena

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  Coat of arms of Cesena

See also

In Spanish: Cesena para niños