Piazza Aurelio Saffi & the Abbazia di San Mercuriale
Forlì's vast main square is anchored by one of northern Italy's finest Romanesque bell towers — a 75-metre brick campanile that has watched over the city since the 12th century. The piazza itself, lined with arcaded palaces and a Neptune fountain, is the beating heart of daily Romagnol life.
The campanile up close
The bell tower of the Abbazia di San Mercuriale is decorated with blind arcading and terracotta reliefs that reward a slow, close-up inspection. Look for the carved lunette above the abbey portal depicting the martyrdom of San Mercuriale — it is one of the finest Romanesque carvings in Emilia-Romagna.
The abbey interior is cool, dim and free to enter. Its 12th-century nave has barely been touched by baroque remodelling, giving it an austere, almost northern-European gravity unusual for this part of Italy.
Life on the piazza
Every morning locals cross the square on bicycles, stop at the bar under the arcades for a standing espresso, and argue about football or politics with the ease of people who have been doing exactly this for centuries. Sit at an outdoor table at Caffè Centrale and simply watch.
On Friday and Saturday evenings the piazza fills with an aperitivo crowd. Local Sangiovese wine and piadina with squacquerone cheese appear on every table — a quintessentially Romagnol ritual that no visitor should skip.
Getting the best photos
The campanile glows amber in the late-afternoon light and reflects beautifully in the wet cobblestones after rain. Arrive around 17:00 in spring or autumn for the most photogenic conditions.
For an elevated perspective, the upper floors of the Palazzo delle Poste on the south side of the square occasionally open for cultural events — worth checking with the tourist office.
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