Cervia

Cervia (Zirvia) is a seaside resort town in the province of Ravenna, located in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.

Cervia is a major seaside resort in Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Its population was 28,983 at the 2023 census. The town it is mainly a destination for seaside tourism, with a coastline of 9 km of equipped beach.

History
The oldest human discovery in the area occurred in the Montaletto hamlet: 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 kept the name of "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 Palaces of Priors, seven churches and a castle (Rocca) which, according to the 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, about 260 hectares and 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 that are obtained show that the water quality is such that guaranteed the city the blue flag of the Foundation for Environmental Education for the ninth consecutive year (since 1997). The levels of these wastewaters have always been excellent in recent years, except some small survey of 2004 and 2002 that triggered the alarm and were provided other controls, which have verified the quality of the water, immediately returned to levels within the normal range.

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

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

It's 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.

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 the salt production of Comacchio. The artisanal production was then replaced by the industrial one in 1959. However, the ancient Camillone saltworks remains, the last of the 144 production saltworks active up to 1959, which still works for demonstration purposes to raise awareness of 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).

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 far from Milan and 359 km from Rome.

Notable people

 * Maria Goia (1878–1924), politician, feminist, and trade unionist

Twin towns/sister cities

 * 🇺🇸 Southampton, New York, United States.
 * 🇺🇸 Monterey, United States.
 * 🇵🇱 Jelenia Góra, Poland.
 * 🇪🇸 Mahón, Spain.
 * 🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
 * 🇩🇪 Aalen, Germany.