Forlimpopoli is a small town with 12,749 inhabitants in the province of Forlì-Cesena placed along the Via Emilia, about 10 km East of the chief town, Forlì.
Some flintstone artefacts discovered in recent years are evidence that this area was inhabited as far back as the earlier Palaeolithic era. Bronze Age peoples walked along and lived in this territory during the earliest historic period and later both Umbrians and Gauls established there. And in this territory today traces of three successive “centuriations” (the subdivision of the country into 100 juger plots of land) are still visible and are evidence of the land reclamation and colonization of the plain effected by the Romans. No doubt the old Via Emilia was the basic axis of this Roman town’s urban network . In the 1^st century B.C. Forum Popili (Forlimpopoli) became a “municipium” (town) in the middle of a wide area bordering the towns of Caesena, Forum Livii (Forlì), Mevaniola and Sarsina. During the first centuries of the Imperial Age the town experienced great economic development, thanks to the farming activities and to the presence of kilns producing wine amphorae with distinctive shapes that reached several Mediterranean ports. An economic decline of the town began in the 3^rd century and went on all the early Middle Ages long, when disastrous floods swamped the plain and farmers abandoned wide farmlands. Recovery was experienced by the town during the late Middle Ages as it is proved by the construction of a new urbanized area, Civitas Nova, and by the attainment of its municipal self-government.
A document of the 14^th century refers that the old village hardly existed at that time, the bishop's see had been moved to Bertinoro and in the place of the ruined cathedral a stronghold called Salvaterra had been built. It is the present quadrangular-based Albornoz fortress towering over the main square.
This fortress nowadays houses the Town Hall, but it is in its vaults that the history of Forlimpopoli is hidden. There the Town Museum rooms contain Palaeolithic, Roman (among which mosaics and amphorae), medieval and late medieval age finds and artifacts that were found in Artusi’s homeland.
The plan Casa Artusi, supported by the Forlimpopoli administration, should also be mentioned. The restoration works in the area opposite the Chiesa dei Servi has witnessed the birth of a wine and gastronomy centre of national importance. The Town Library as well is included in the Casa Artusi complex, and is also named after their citizen Pellegrino Artusi from Forlimpopoli.
Arona benches and bollards code No. 701-6 have been installed in the square opposite the fortress at Forlimpopoli.