Palazzo Comunale e Torre Civica

Forlì's Palazzo Comunale and Civic Tower stand together on Piazza Aurelio Saffi, the enduring centre of municipal government. The palace grew around an ancient tower from about the year 1000; its 72-metre clock tower was destroyed in 1944 and reconstructed in the 1970s.

Why it matters

The palace has served as Forlì's civic seat through changes in political rule. The Ordelaffi family made it their residence in 1412, transforming the commune's offices into a seigneurial court. The palace and tower together preserve the medieval idea of the civic centre, where municipal government and public timekeeping occupied the same urban space.

What to notice

The palace's neoclassical façade was redesigned between 1812 and 1826 by engineers Gottardo Perseguiti and Giovanni Bertoni. On the first floor, the Sala dei Fasti has a council chamber designed by the Bibiena in 1761, with painted architecture of columns, balconies and balustrades. Frescoes include works by Felice Giani, dated 1809, and Francesco Menzocchi, dated 1563. The Civic Tower stands on the trunk of a Roman-era tower. Its octagonal lantern followed damage in the 1781 earthquake; the tower's four clock faces and historic bells recall its former role in civic life.

Context and history

The palace expanded from around the year 1000 toward the Campo dell'Abate. The Ordelaffi took possession in 1412, and the palace became the residence of the city's lords. In 1488, after the assassination of Girolamo Riario, the Orsi brothers threw his body from the Sala delle Ninfe. Retreating German forces destroyed the Civic Tower on 9 November 1944; the explosion also destroyed the theatre below it. The tower was rebuilt in 1975–76 on a reinforced-concrete structure clad in brick, slightly taller than the original.