Torre San Michele and Magazzini del Sale

Ancient Cervia stood in the middle of the salt pans, but malaria made it uninhabitable. At the end of the 17th century the Pope decided to move it near the sea, and the new city with its regular layout that you see today was born. Even earlier, in 1691, Torre San Michele was built to defend the canal port and the salt from pirates.

Next to the tower are the Magazzini del Sale, enormous brick buildings where thousands of tonnes of salt were stored before being loaded onto ships. The Magazzino Torre houses MUSA, the Salt Museum, which tells the story of the salt workers, their tools and the history of Cervia's sweet salt.

The tower now houses the tourist information office, and the upper room opens for exhibitions and events. The canal port in front is full of boats and fish restaurants, and in summer the warehouses become spaces for concerts and markets.

The salt pans, now a nature park with flamingos, are just a few kilometres away: combine the two to understand why Cervia is the city of salt.