The town of Forlimpopoli lays on a strategic geographical site where communications between mountain communities, the countryside and the sea are favoured.
The territory had been inhabited since the Lower Palaeolithic period, as evidenced by the flint-stone artefacts found in recent times; in particular, these are fragments of stone tools similar to those found in the more famous excavations site of Monte Poggiolo (in Forlì) and made by individuals belonging to the group of the Homo erectus, about 700,000 year ago.
During the protohistoric period, the territory was crossed and inhabited by people of the Bronze Age and, subsequently, both by the Umbrians and by the Celts, coming from the Po Valley.
The name of Forlimpopoli is clearly of Roman origin (i.e. Forum Popili) and is probably after the name of the Roman Consul Popilio Lenate, who founded the town by 132 B.C.
In the territory of Forlimpopoli, evidence of three successive Roman centurial periods is still visible, as testified by the works of land reclamation and colonization by part of the Romans; certainly the ancient Via Emilia represented the fundamental axis within the urban tissue of the Roman town.
In the First century B.C., Forum Popili became a municipium at the centre of a vast territory limiting with the ancient urban centres of Caesena, Forum Livii (Forlì), Mevaniola and Sarsina, while during the first centuries of the Roman Empire it benefited from a strong economic growth thanks to the agricultural activities and to the furnaces, which produced particular wine amphorae destined to various Mediterranean seaports.
The wealth of Forum Popili was also due to its closeness to the ancient seaport of Classis (Ravenna), where goods and ideas arrived from the East, as proved by the discovery of a stone slab of the First century A.C. devoted to Fullonia Tertulla, priestess of Isis.
From the Third century an economic decline of the town began and continued throughout all Upper Middle Age. In this period, the plain was submerged by devastating floods and large cultivated areas were abandoned by farmers. Moreover, in this period, the town was incorporated into the Exarchate of Ravenna and had its first Catholic bishop by 500 A.C., the Athenian Rufillo. On his sepulchre, in the environs of the town, a Benedictine abbey was built up.
During the Seventh century, according to Paul the Deacon, Forlimpopoli was devastated by the army of the Lombard King Grimoaldo and, during the following century, the town was submitted to the rule of the Catholic Church.
Yet during the Lower Middle Age the town had a revival, as testified by the new urban area, the Civitas Nova, and by the conquest of a Municipal autonomy: documents of those times report the presence in Forlimpopoli of consuls and later of a “podestà”.
But, during the Thirteenth century, the town fell under the sphere of influence of the Ordelaffi family, who was trying to expand its power from the near city of Forlì to the rest of the Romagna region.
The action of the Ordelaffi was firmly opposed by the Catholic Church, which conquered the territory again, thanks to the powerful counteraction of Cardinal Albornoz, who, in 1361, ordered the destruction of Forlimpopoli as it had decided to remain loyal to the noble family of Forlì.
Ten years later, as described by a document of the period, the ancient town did not exist any longer. The Bishop’s seat had been moved to Bertinoro and, in place of the cathedral, a fortress was built up. It was known as “Salvaterra” fortress, now known as the “Rocca”.
A few years later, once a peace treaty was signed with the Catholic Church, Sinisbaldo Ordelaffi made the town of Forlimpopoli rise again with the erection of fortified walls. During the Fifteenth and Sixteenth centuries, Forlimpopoli was ruled by several dukes, such as Caterina Sforza and Cesare Borgia. In 1535, the city was given by the Pope to Antonello Zampeschi as permanent land estate. At his death, Brunoro II Zampeschi succeeded and became a gallant knight in service of Venice, the Pope, the Duke of Savoy and of the King of France.
In 1592 the Fortress passed to the princes Savelli, heirs of the Zampeschi, and then to Cardinal Capponi.
After the Napoleonic interlude, Forlimpopoli returned under the domain of the Papal States. During the Risorgimento (the movement for the birth of a Kingdom in Italy), the town actively participated into the liberal risings of 1831.
In 1851 it was sacked by the band of the notorious bandit Stefano Pelloni, known also as the "Passatore"; among the victims of the sack, there was also the father of Pellegrino Artusi, who was the author of the culinary work entitled "La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene" (“Science and the art of eating well”).
At the end of the Nineteenth century, the high school where young Benito Mussolini would study was founded. During WWII, Forlimpopoli was heavily damaged by the passage of the battle front. Many of its citizens actively participated into the Resistance movement, until the liberation of the town, occurred on 25th October of the year 1944.
The Municipal territory of Forlimpopoli, which is part of the province of Forlì-Cesena, arises on the plain lands of Romagna, at the foot of the lower hills of the Apennines and at about 25 km from the Adriatic Coast. The urban centre is along the ancient Via Emilia, between Forlì and Cesena, where it meets the road from the valley of the river Bidente or Ronco. The municipality has today 11,300 inhabitants, mainly concentrated on the urban centre. It includes smaller centres such as Selbagnone, Sant’Andrea, San Pietro ai Prati and part of San Leonardo. The main ways of communication with Forlimpopoli are the Bologna-Ancona railway section and the Via Emilia, which has recently been transferred outside the urban area with a modern ring road. For those who travel along the motorway A14, the exit is at Forlì (if they come from the North) or, alternatively, the exit of Cesena Nord (if they come from the South), within a distance of about 10 km. If one travels along the E45, connecting Ravenna with Perugia and Rome, the exit is at Cesena Ovest.
Comune di Forlimpopoli
The Municipal territory of Forlimpopoli, which is part of the province of Forlì-Cesena, arises on the plain lands of Romagna, at the foot of the lower hills of the Apennines and at about 25 km from the Adriatic Coast. The urban centre is along the ancient Via Emilia, between Forlì and Cesena, where it meets the road from the valley of the river Bidente or Ronco. The municipality has today 11,300 inhabitants, mainly concentrated on the urban centre. It includes smaller centres such as Selbagnone, Sant’Andrea, San Pietro ai Prati and part of San Leonardo. The main ways of communication with Forlimpopoli are the Bologna-Ancona railway section and the Via Emilia, which has recently been transferred outside the urban area with a modern ring road. For those who travel along the motorway A14, the exit is at Forlì (if they come from the North) or, alternatively, the exit of Cesena Nord (if they come from the South), within a distance of about 10 km. If one travels along the E45, connecting Ravenna with Perugia and Rome, the exit is at Cesena Ovest.
Distance from Forli: 8 Km
Surface: 24.47 km2
Mean altitude: m. 31 a.s.l.
Telephone code: 0543
Zip code: 47034
Population: 11,249 inhabitants
Province: Forlì-Cesena
Limits: North: Municipality of Forlì; South: Municipality of Bertinoro; East: Municipality of Bertinoro; West: Municipality of Forlì.
Minor urban centres: S. Andrea, S. Leonardo, Selbagnone,
S. Pietro ai Prati
