Forlì

Forlì, 44°13′N 12°02′E, is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, the seat of the province of Forlì. Its 110,209 inhabitants are Forlivesi, because in Antiquity it was called Forum Livii: the legend that would make its founder the consul Livius Salinator, who confronted Hasdrubal and vanquished him at the banks of the Metaurus River 207 BCE, is strictly a legend. The old city was destroyed in 88 BCE during the civil wars of Marius and Sulla and rebuilt by the praetor Livius Clodius afterwards. After the collapse of the West, the city formed part of the realms of Odoacer and the Ostrogoth kingdom before becoming an outlier of the Byzantine power of the Exarchate of Ravenna

In the time of the Lombards, the city was contested and was repeatedly retaken by Lombard forces, in 665, 728, 742 until its final incorporation with the Papal States in 757, part of the Donation of Pepin. By the 10th century, but perhaps a century earlier, the city had wrested control from its bishops and was established as one of the independent Italian city-states, the communes that signalled the first revival of urban Italian life.

In the medieval struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Forlí remained with the papal, Ghibelline factions, partly as a means of preserving its independence, rather than out of loyalty to the temporal power of the papacy. More local competition was involved in loyalties: in 1241, during Frederick II's struggles with Pope Gregory IX the people of Forlì offered its loyal support to Frederick II during the capture of the rival town, Faenza, and, as a sign of gratitude, they were granted an augmentation of the communal coat-of-arms with the Hohenstaufen eagle, together with other privileges. With the collapse of Hohenstaufen power in 1257, Guido da Montefeltro the staunchest imperial lieutenant, was forced to take refuge in Forlì, the only remaining stronghold of the Ghibelline political power. He accepted the position of capitano del popolo until the city was forced to accede to papal power and Guido to take his leave. The commune soon submitted to a local condottiere rather than accept a representative of direct papal control, and Simone Mestaguerra had himself proclaimed Lord of Forlì. He did not succeed in leaving the new signory peacefully to an heir, however, and Forlì passed to Maghinardo Pagano, Uguccione della Faggiuola (1297), and others, until in 1302 the Ordelaffi came into power. Local factions with papal support ousted the family several times, in 1327–29 and again in 1359–1375, and at other turns of events the bishops were expelled by the Ordelaffi: Fra Bartolomeo da Sanzetto (1351), was expelled by Francesco degli Ordelaffi and Bishop Giovanni Capparelli (1427), banished by Antonio degli Ordelaffi. Bishop Luigi Pirano (1437) took an active part in the Council of Ferrara. Forlì was seized in 1488 by Visconti and in 1499 by Cesare Borgia, after whose death it was more directly subject to the pope than it had ever been before.

The diocese of Forlì was established early, for its bishop, venerated as Saint Mercurialis attended the Council of Rimini in 359; later legend moved him back into the Apostolic age.

External links

• Forlì and its historical background"
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Diocese of Forlì