Rocca Malatestiana di Cesena

The rocca dominates Cesena from Garampo hill. It was commissioned by the Malatesta family between the late 14th and 15th centuries, when the city was their most important centre after Rimini, and completed under Malatesta Novello and later under papal rule. The enclosure is enormous: a polygon of walls and towers enclosing a large courtyard and two mighty towers, the Maschio and the Femmina.

Over the centuries it has served as both fortress and residence of the governors. Today it is a place to experience, with guided tours, shows and open-air cinema in summer in the courtyard, and a small refreshment area.

The guided tour lasts about fifty minutes and takes you along the patrol walkways and inside the towers. From the top you can see the rooftops of Cesena, the dome of the Madonna del Monte on the hill opposite and, on clear days, the sea.

Below the rocca stretches the Parco della Rimembranza, a large green lung from which you can walk down to Piazza del Popolo and the Fontana Masini. It is the perfect walk to connect the rocca with the historic centre and the Biblioteca Malatestiana.