Cervia

History

The oldest human discovery in the area occurred in the hamlet of Montaletto: most likely it is a Bronze Age shepherds' camp dating back to about 3,000 - 1,000 B.C. The salt marshes were probably already active in the Etruscan age, as findings during urban planning works carried out in recent years would indicate. It is possible that lodgings, or perhaps settlements, existed for salt workers, even seasonal ones; the findings indicate a certain population density already in the first century BC. Until the Roman age, the city had the name "Ficocle", but its exact location is not known.

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 Palace of Priors, seven churches and a castle (Rocca) which, according to 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 9 km 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 of about 260 hectares, which 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 show that the water quality was good enough to secure the blue flag of the Foundation for Environmental Education for nine consecutive year (from 1997). The levels of these wastewaters have been excellent in recent years, except for some small survey of 2002 and 2004 that triggered the alarm but were soon mitigated and brought within the required range.

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

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

It is 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.

Economy

Salt extraction

The salt production activity, known since Roman and Medieval times, grew in importance due to the changes made to the Po delta and the decline of salt production in Comacchio. Artisanal production was then replaced by industrial forms in 1959. However, the ancient Camillone saltworks remain, the last of the 144 production saltworks which were active up to 1959. It is still used for demonstration purposes to raise awareness about the activity of the salt workers. The fund can produce between 500 and 2,000 quintals of salt per season.

Fishing

The fishing activity is specialized in small-scale fishing with postal gear and in the breeding of mussels. The first activity is mainly oriented towards the direct sale of the catch and has developed in recent years allowing for a generalized renewal of the fleet. Mussel farming, which has been practiced since the 1980s, is instead favored by the environmental conditions of the Romagna coast.

Tourism

Cervia is mainly a destination for seaside tourism, with a coastline of 9 km of equipped beach, and has become one of the busiest tourist locations in Emilia Romagna. It has many restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and hotels, and is a popular vacation spot in the warm months. In 2017, it hosted a total of almost three million eight hundred thousand tourists. It is the fourth Italian center with the highest number of hotels: 371 for a total of 27,264 beds.

Climate

Cervia has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa).

| Jan record high C = 20.0 | Feb record high C = 20.1 | Mar record high C = 27.3 | Apr record high C = 30.0 | May record high C = 33.0 | Jun record high C = 35.8 | Jul record high C = 38.2 | Aug record high C = 39.2 | Sep record high C = 34.9 | Oct record high C = 29.2 | Nov record high C = 26.9 | Dec record high C = 20.2 | year record high C = 39.2 | Jan record low C = -8.5 | Feb record low C = -14.2 | Mar record low C = -6.3 | Apr record low C = -2.5 | May record low C = -0.9 | Jun record low C = 6.9 | Jul record low C = 9.6 | Aug record low C = 8.8 | Sep record low C = 4.9 | Oct record low C = 0.7 | Nov record low C = -2.6 | Dec record low C = -11.5 | year record low C = -14.2 | Jan dew point C =0.7 | Feb dew point C =1.0 | Mar dew point C =4.0 | Apr dew point C =7.2 | May dew point C =11.8 | Jun dew point C =14.8 | Jul dew point C =17.0 | Aug dew point C =17.6 | Sep dew point C =14.4 | Oct dew point C =11.3 | Nov dew point C =6.1 | Dec dew point C =2.0 |access-date = February 4, 2024}} (Dew Point 1981-2010)

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 Autostrada A14 (Italy) at Cesena (15 km) and Rimini (24 km). Cervia is located about 103 km south of Bologna, 311 km away from Milan and 359 km from Rome.

Notable people

• Isotta Gervasi (1889–1967), physician, one of the first women to practice in Italy
• Maria Goia (1878–1924), politician, feminist, and trade unionist

Twin towns/sister cities

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

Gallery

File:Porto Cervia.jpg|Cervia Harbour in 2015 File:CerviaPorto.JPG|Harbour File:Cervia beach.jpg|The beach File:CerviaPalazzoComunale.JPG|City Hall File:DLO goes to adriatic.jpg|The fountain of Piazza dell'Unità in Pinarella File:Veduta di Milano Marittima.JPG| Beach of Cervia

References

1. [http://www.comunecervia.it/ae/dossier/residenti.htm Dati statistici sulla popolazione] {{webarchive. link. (16 April 2008)
2. (2017-10-16). "Rinvenimenti archeologici a Cervia, antiche saline o allevamento ittico? {{!}} Ravenna24ore.it".
3. "Sito romano di Cervia/ Ficocle, Cervia, ambito culturale romano e bizantino, secc. III a C./ VIII d.C.".
4. Gazzetta Ufficiale]] n. 125 del 31 maggio 2010.
5. [http://www.turismo.comunecervia.it/scoprire_il_territorio/ambiente_natura/riserve_naturali/pagina990001885.html Turismo Comune di Cervia - Parchi e riserve naturali]
6. [http://www.emiliaromagnaturismo.it/it/pubblicazioni/download/pubblicazioni_mare/luoghi-della-pesca.pdf I luoghi della pesca in Emilia-Romagna] {{Webarchive. link
7. [http://www.turismo.comunecervia.it/scoprire_il_territorio/localita/ Località] turismo.comunecervia.it
8. [http://www.comunecervia.it/files/usr/news/notizie-dal-comune/2018/documenti-pdf-2018/turismo.dati_anno_2017.pdf Dati ufficiali dell'Assessorato al turismo - Gennaio-Dicembre 2017] turismo.comunecervia.it
9. "WMO Climate Normals for 1981-2010: Cervia-16148". [[NOAA.