Mosaic of lands and waters, Cervia is rich in historical memories. Until the 17th century, ancient Cervia was located further south. Starting in 1698, it was dismantled piece by piece and literally rebuilt further north, near the beach of the marina, a decidedly healthier area. Today it represents one of the most renowned towns in Emilia Romagna along the coast.
1 Old Cervia and the Salinari Village
Walking along Via Salara, which soon becomes Via Martiri Fantini, you quickly reach the old village of Cervia, a small architectural jewel, with solid quadrilateral walls, corners oriented to the cardinal points and sides occupied by the old houses of the salt workers, with pastel-colored facades and balconies adorned with flowers. The feeling is that of being in a place that is somewhat magical and somewhat naive.
The heart is Piazza Garibaldi, where the eighteenth-century silhouettes of the Town Hall and the Cathedral dominate. On clear summer evenings, the square is the meeting point for the whole city, helped by the notes of a small orchestra or the rich calendar of cultural events. An extension of old Cervia is the “Salinari Village“, to which the salt workers themselves contributed, acquiring the right, transferable from father to son, to enjoy free housing until 1953, when the management of the State Monopoly removed all privileges.
2 Municipal Theater of Cervia
In the southwest bastion of the city walls nestles the beautiful nineteenth-century theater, small, cozy, with perfect acoustics. The Municipal Theater of Cervia is located near the tinsmith Trucolo‘s house, a figure very dear to the people of Cervia and beyond; Grazia Deledda, who lived here for a long time and got familiar with the locals, affectionately called him the hunchback of fortune and the little man with the drop of tin. The gem of the village, however, is Pisacane square, which from the ancient sea gate faces the elegant Viale Roma, a prelude to the beach. Framed by beautiful plane trees, the square is a constant hustle and bustle around the bar tables and stalls of fruit, vegetables, and typical products.
3 San Michele Tower
Leaving the village, it is worth walking towards the port channel, admiring the splendid San Michele Tower, from the seventeenth century, perfectly restored, and the nearby Salt Warehouses, home to the namesake and beautiful museum, the MUSA. Once, here, salt was stored, arriving from the salt pans transported on flat-bottomed iron boats called burchielle, towed with a rope by the salt workers who walked along the canal shore.
4 Cervia Sluice Bridge
Il Ponte delle Paratorie prende anche il nome di “ponte nuovo” o “ponte della torre” per la sua vicinanza alla Torre San Michele, ottimo per una passeggiata serale a Cervia. Costruito nel 1862 è stato distrutto da mine tedesche il 21 ottobre del 1944. Rifatto a qualche metro di distanza dal precedente, il ponte è stato ulteriormente sostituito nel dicembre 2000 per venire incontro alle sempre maggiori esigenze della città. Si tratta di un immenso ponte mobile, giunto a Cervia via mare a bordo di una chiatta, poiché non trasportabile via terra.
5 The Carpet Fountain by Tonino Guerra
Behind the San Michele tower, after the bridge, there is also the “carpet fountain” that Tonino Guerra dedicated to the salt workers, an original mosaic carpet suspended over the water, with white heaps of salt, evoking the colors and environment of the salt pans.
6 Salt Museum, MUSA
What to do in Cervia if it rains? We suggest visiting the Salt Museum. Housed in a wing of the huge 17th-century warehouse, the Cervia Salt Museum is divided into nine thematic areas, illustrating the rich and complex relationship between the city, the salt pans, and the sea; the techniques for extracting white gold. The importance of salt in history and culture; the naturalistic and environmental aspects of the salt marsh; the life of the salt workers, documented by materials and work tools, by a large original burchiella (the flat-bottomed boat used to transport white gold from the salt pans to the warehouses) and a rich collection of photographs, documents, and memorabilia.
