Cervia (Romagnol:Zirvia) is a seaside resort town in the province ofRavenna, located in the northern Italian region ofEmilia-Romagna.
Cervia is a majorseaside resort inEmilia-Romagna, North Italy. Its population was 28,983 at the 2023 census. It is mainly a destination for seaside tourism, with a coastline of 9 km of beach.
The oldest human discovery in the area occurred in the hamlet of Montaletto: most likely it is aBronze Age shepherds' camp dating back to about 3,000 - 1,000 B.C. The salt marshes were probably already active in theEtruscan age, as findings during urban planning works carried out in recent years would indicate.[3] 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 theRoman age, the city had the name "Ficocle", but its exact location is not known.[4]
Later the centre was rebuilt in a more secure position, in theSalina. 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 EmperorFrederick Barbarossa. The name also changed from Ficocle to Cervia, probably referring to theAcervi, great amounts of salt left in the local evaporation ponds. After a long series of events, it became part of thePapal States.
As time passed, the salt pond turned into a marsh, and on 9 November 1697Pope 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 inDante'sDivine Comedy (Inferno, Canto XXVII, lines 40–42).
Nowadays Cervia is aseaside resort on theAdriatic Riviera thanks to its 9-kilometre (6 mi) shore characterised by sandy beaches.Unlike its neighbourCesenatico, 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 ofARPA 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 afterBologna. With the development of the neighbourhood Milano Marittima, the presence ofnightclubs 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.
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 inComacchio. 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.[5][6]
Thefishing activity is specialized in small-scale fishing with postal gear and in the breeding ofmussels. 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 theRomagna coast.[7]
Cervia is mainly a destination for seaside tourism, with a coastline of 9 km of equipped beach,[8] and has become one of the busiest tourist locations inEmilia 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.[9] It is the fourth Italian center with the highest number of hotels: 371 for a total of 27,264 beds.
The city is served by the road Strada statale 16 Adriatica or Romea South. It is possible reach theAutostrada A14 (Italy) atCesena (15 km) andRimini (24 km).Cervia is located about 103 km south ofBologna, 311 km away fromMilan and 359 km fromRome.
