Rocca di Ravaldino
Most visitors walk straight past the imposing medieval fortress on the south-western edge of Forlì's historic centre without realising they are looking at one of the most dramatic sites in Renaissance Italian history. This is where the warrior-countess Caterina Sforza held off a papal army in 1488 — and reportedly made one of the most audacious gestures in the annals of political defiance.
The history you were never taught
When the Orsi conspirators murdered her husband Girolamo Riario and held her children hostage to force the surrender of the Rocca, Caterina Sforza climbed the walls and — according to contemporary accounts — lifted her skirts and told them she had the means to make more children. The fortress did not fall.
She held Forlì and the neighbouring Rocca di Imola against multiple sieges until Cesare Borgia finally overwhelmed her in 1500 with French artillery support. The story is better than any Netflix drama, and the fortress walls where it played out are still standing.
Visiting the fortress today
The Rocca is now used partly as a prison facility, which limits interior access, but the exterior and the moat-side walkway are freely accessible and make for a compelling, atmospheric stroll. The sheer scale of the brick walls — up to 4 metres thick in places — conveys the military ambition of the Riario-Sforza court far better than any museum panel.
Local cultural associations periodically organise guided evening visits to the accessible areas of the fortress, often paired with historical re-enactments of Caterina's story. The tourist office on Piazza Saffi keeps a schedule.
Combining with the neighbourhood
The area around the Rocca, particularly the streets of the Borgo Schiavonia district, retains a quieter, more residential character than the tourist centre. A walk around the fortress perimeter and into these streets takes about 45 minutes and gives a genuine sense of the city beyond the postcard views.
End the walk at the small bar on Viale Matteotti for a cold Pignoletto frizzante — the crisp, slightly sparkling white from the Apennine foothills that locals drink when the weather turns warm.
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