In the Footsteps of Caterina Sforza, Lady of Forlì

The journey in the footsteps of Caterina Sforza begins at Piazzale della Vittoria, at the corner with Corso della Repubblica, where today you can find Palazzi Gemelli Bazzani and Benini, fine examples of 20th-century rationalist architecture.

However, in medieval times, this same spot was home to Porta Cotogni, one of the four main gates of the fortified city, reserved for solemn ceremonies and noble courts.

It was from here, on 15th July 1481, that Caterina Sforza made her official entry into Forlì, alongside her husband, Girolamo Riario.

Bishop Alessandro Numai welcomed the new Lords by handing them the keys of the city, in a moment rich with symbolism. The procession then crossed what is now Corso della Repubblica, making its way to Piazza Saffi, marking the start of the brief yet impactful Sforza rule over Forlì.

Once a simple point of passage, this spot became a symbol of new beginnings, power, and legitimacy.

Continuing along Corso della Repubblica, we reach the heart of Forlì: Piazza Aurelio Saffi. This square, once an ancient riverbed and later a Roman forum, has been the center of the city's civil and religious life for centuries. It has hosted markets, solemn celebrations and some of the most significant political events in Forlì's history.

With its vast open space and the elegance of the architecture that sorrounds it, Piazza Saffi is considered one of the most suggestive squares in Italy. 

Looking to the right, the bell tower of the Abbey of San Mercuriale, rises as a spiritual symbol of the city even in the time of Caterina Sforza. She gave it such importance that she preferred it to the Cathedral of Santa Croce. The current building stands on the remains of the Parish Church of Santo Stefano and, despite being located outside the town centre in medieval times, it was considered the heart of the city's religious life.

Inside, you can find masterpieces such as the lunette by the Maestro dei Mesi from Ferrara, the Funeral Monument of Barbara Manfredi and paintings by Marco Palmezzano, a pupil of Melozzo from Forlì.

On the opposite side of the square is the Palazzo Comunale, another key site of the city's history, which can only be admired from the outside.

It was within these walls that one of the most dramatic episodes linked to Caterina Sforza took place: the Orsi conspiracy of 1488, during which her husband Girolamo Riario was assassinated and thrown from a window.

Caterina was imprisoned together with her mother, sister and children, but through her cunning she managed to escape, regain control of the city and consolidate her charismatic and intransigent role.

Continuing along Corso Garibaldi, on the west side of Piazza Saffi, we reach no. 45, where the present Palazzo Monte di Pietà stands.

This building stands on the site that was once the home of the powerful Orsi family, responsible for the assassination of Girolamo Riario, husband of Caterina Sforza, during the famous conspiracy of 1488.

After her daring liberation and the restoration of her power, Catherine had the Orsi Palace demolished and ordered the ruins to be left in sight as an eternal warning to anyone who dared to challenge her rule.

Today, the restored building houses the Fondazione Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì and its temporary art exhibitions.

To taste

In the heart of the land that Caterina Sforza fiercely defended, experience the taste of an authentic piadina romagnola, together with a good glass of Sangiovese wine, intense and forthright just like the “Tiger of Forlì”.

Continuing along Corso Garibaldi, we reach Piazza Duomo, where the monumental Santa Croce Cathedral, known as the Duomo of Forlì, stands. 

It was here that the solemn ceremony took place, marking the installation of Caterina Sforza and her husband Girolamo Riario as new rulers of the city. In 1490, it was Caterina herself who commissioned the building of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, today an integral part of the complex.

Inside the cathedral you can admire works of great value, including the xylograph of the Madonna del Fuoco, patron saint of the city, the famous “quadroni” by Guido Cagnacci and the dome frescoed by Carlo Cignani in the 18th century.

A stage that combines spirituality, art and history, in the heart of the religious centre of Renaissance Forlì. 

Returning to Corso Garibaldi and continuing along Via Bufalini, we arrive at Piazza Guido da Montefeltro, home to the prestigious San Domenico Civic Museum, one of the most dynamic cultural centres in Emilia-Romagna, known for hosting temporary exhibitions of international standing and authentic masterpieces by Beato Angelico, Palmezzano, Fattori, and Canova, including the superb statue of Hebe, as well as the Caravaggio-style Fiasca with flowers.

In its permanent collections stands out the famous portrait La Dama dei Gelsomini by Lorenzo di Credi, which local tradition identifies with Caterina Sforza, although there is no documentary evidence to confirm this connection.

This is a place where art brings the legend to life and leads us to the last, most symbolic stop: the Fortress of Ravaldino, easily reached from Via Caterina Sforza.

The itinerary ends in the place most charged with symbolic and historical signature: the Fortress of Ravaldino, commonly known as “Caterina's Fortress”, a place that eternally preserves its memory.

Built in 1471 at the behest of Pino III Ordelaffi, the fortress became the scene of the most legendary exploits of the “Tiger of Romagna”. It was here that Caterina Sforza took refuge in 1488 to escape the imprisonment inflicted on her by the Orsi family after the murder of her husband Girolamo Riario.

Just over ten years later, in 1499, the fortress heroically resisted the siege of Cesare Borgia, known as “Il Valentino”, son of Pope Alexander VI, who wanted to seize the Romagna territories.

The defence was long and fierce, but in January 1500 the fortress finally fell. Catherine was captured, taken to Rome and imprisoned. After her liberation, she lived her last years in Florence, devoting herself to training her son Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and writing medical and cosmetic treatises.

Curiosities

• The conspirators, in an attempt to bend her, threatened to kill her children. According to the famous legend told by Machiavelli, from the walls of the fortress she replied without hesitation: “Do it, if you want: hang them before me! I have enough here to make more!” – lifting her skirts in defiance.
• Still today, on one side of the walls where the breach took place, the Borgia coat of arms can be seen, the last seal of an epic chapter in Forlì's history.
• After the death of her first husband, which occurred during the Orsi conspiracy, Caterina Sforza married Giacomo Feo, who, like her previous consort, was assassinated during a conspiracy in 1495.
• Caterina Sforza collected her knowledge of medicines and cosmetics in the manuscript Experimenti della excellentissima signora Caterina da Furlj.