Cervia (Romagnol: Zirvia) is a seaside resort town in the province of Ravenna, located in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.

Cervia
Comune
Comune di Cervia
Town Hall
Location of Cervia
Cervia Location of Cervia in Italy Show map of Italy Cervia Cervia (Emilia-Romagna) Show map of Emilia-Romagna
Coordinates: 44°15′31″N 12°21′21″E
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Province	Province of Ravenna (RA)
Frazioni	Cannuzzo, Castiglione di Cervia, Milano Marittima, Montaletto, Pinarella, Pisignano, Savio di Cervia, Tagliata, Terme, Villa Inferno
Government
• Mayor	Massimo Medri
Area [1]
• Total	82 km2 (32 sq mi)
Elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Population  (16 April 2018)[2]
• Total	28,700
• Density	350/km2 (910/sq mi)
Demonym	Cervesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	48015, 48016, 48010
Dialing code	0544
Patron saint	Saint Paternian
Saint day	13 November
Website	Official website

The neutrality of this article is disputed. (March 2019)

Cervia is a major seaside resort in Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Its population was 28,700 at the 2018 census.

History

Originally called Ficocle, it was probably of Greek origin and was located midway between current Cervia and Ravenna. It is known that this original settlement was destroyed in 709 by patrician Theodore for its alliance with Ravenna against the loyal Byzantines.

Later the centre was rebuilt in a more secure position, in the Salina. This medieval city grew until it was provided with three fortified entrances, a Palaces of Priors, seven churches and a castle (Rocca) which, according to the legend, was built by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The name also changed from Ficocle to Cervia, probably referring to the Acervi, great amounts of salt left in the local evaporation ponds. After a long series of events, it became part of the Papal States.

As time passed, the salt pond turned into a marsh, and on 9 November 1697, Pope Innocent XII ordered it to be rebuilt in a safer location. The new city had huge silos for the storage of salt, containing up to 13,000 tons.

Cervia is also mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy (Inferno, Canto XXVII, lines 40–42).

Town information

Nowadays Cervia is a seaside resort on the Adriatic Riviera thanks to its 10-kilometre (6 mi) shore characterised by sandy beaches. Unlike its neighbour Cesenatico, the buildings are subject to strict urban regulations, favouring the conservation of the pine forest and green areas between each new construction.

Cervia has a large pine forest, about 260 hectares and includes the areas of Milano Marittima, Cervia, Pinarella and Tagliata. A project with the local authority of ARPA is active for the control of water, at various points between the beach in Milano Marittima and that of Pinarella. The results that are obtained show that the water quality is such that guaranteed the city the blue flag of the Foundation for Environmental Education for the ninth consecutive year (since 1997). The levels of these wastewaters have always been excellent in recent years, except some small survey of 2004 and 2002 that triggered the alarm and were provided other controls, which have verified the quality of the water, immediately returned to levels within the normal range.

Housing prices in Cervia ranked second highest in the Emilia Romagna in a 2009 research, only after Bologna. With the development of the neighbourhood Milano Marittima, the presence of nightclubs and outdoor dances were banished from Cervia centre, in order to respect the comfort of residents and tourists.

In Cervia, they are already operating several cycling routes. In fact, the city is also famous for its large number of bicycles around the town, especially during summer.

It's heavily influenced by the presence of sports, art, and cuisine.

Cervia was Italy's first city to host an IRONMAN Triathlon, drawing world-class athletes from all over the world.

Tortelli verdi is a typical food in Cervia.

Main sights

• The Cathedral (Santa Maria Assunta), built in 1699–1702
• The Museum of Salt
• The Communal Palace
• St. Michael Tower

Transportation

The city is served by the road Strada statale 16 Adriatica or Romea South. It is possible reach the Italian A14 highway at Cesena (15 km) and Rimini (24 km). Cervia is located about 103 km south of Bologna, 311 km far from Milan and 359 km from Rome.

Notable people

• Maria Goia (1878–1924), politician, feminist, and trade unionist

Twin towns/sister cities

• Southampton, New York, United States
• Monterey, United States
• Jelenia Góra, Poland
• Mahón, Spain
• Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• Aalen, (Germany)

Gallery

• 
  Cervia Harbour in 2015
• 
  Harbour
• 
  The Beach
• 
  City Hall
• 
  The fountain of Piazza dell'Unità in Pinarella
• 
  Beach of Cervia

See also

• Diocese of Cervia

Notes and references

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cervia.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Cervia.

• Cervia Municipality (in Italian)
• Official tourist information site of Cervia, Milano Marittima, Pinarella and Tagliata

На других языках

[de] Cervia

[es] Cervia

[ru] Червия