Unmissable Excursions: CERVIA - MILANO MARITTIMA
Legend has it that when the town was entirely surrounded by woods and forests, the bishop of Lodi was one of the most frequent visitors to this area. One day, while he was walking through the pinewood, a deer knelt down before him in devotion, recognizing him as God’s servant. Following that episode the town was named Cervia (the Italian word for ‘deer’ being ‘cervo’), not only to remind such an extraordinary event, but also because the pinewoods nearby were full of deer. One of the two versions seems to have convinced also the people of Cervia, as a deer kneeling on a green field is the coat of arms of the town.
The origins and the development of Milano Marittima date back to the early 1900s, when Cervia was still a small town with 9 thousand inhabitants and lived on a traditional economy based mainly on salt production, agriculture and fishing. At the time most people were illiterate.
However the first ‘bathing establishment’ introducing Cervia as a holiday resort was founded in 1882. On 1st June 1911 the ‘Milano Marittima Association for the development of Cervia beach’ was established. A considerable urban growth started and, although it was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, it continued even more evidently in the 1920s. The tourist development of the area became more intense in the 1930s, was interrupted by World War II and started again in the post-war years, transforming the town into one of the most popular seaside resorts in Italy.
SALT STOREHOUSES
The "Tower Storehouse", on the right bank of the Canal, preceded the costruction of New Cervia. The importance of ‘salt’ for the town’s economy justified the construction of such a big building, which could contain between 100.000 and 130.000 quintals of salt. The storehouse, entirely made in bricks and clay, features a romanesque basilica structure divided into three naves; it is 66mt long and 18mt wide. It currently houses a permanent exhibition on the salt civilization and offers space for art and cultural events. The “Dock Storehouse”, on the left side of the canal, was entirely built with the left-over material of the Old Town, after the reconstruction of Cervia in its current position.
ST. MICHAEL’S TOWER
The tower dates back to 1691, and was built to defend the town against the Turks and the Saracens. Being 22.5mt high, it was considered impregnable due to its narrow windows and because it was linked to the dry land through a drawbridge, which is no longer there. The four floors of the tower housed the basement, the kitchen, the soldiers’ dormitory and, at the top, a large parade ground. The tower was later converted into the Revenue Guards headquarters, hence the name “Revenue Guards Tower”, who were responsible for protecting the salt stored in the storehouses.
SHRINE OF THE VIRGIN OF THE PINE
The origins of this shrine date back to 1445. It was built to house an image of the Virgin which had misteriously appeared on the trunk of a pine. The actual Church was consecrated in 1498. The shrine features a late-romanesque façade, enriched with an Istrian stone portal donated by the Cervia Community in 1557. The single room inside features uncovered roof trusses and ends with a small apse. On the right side of the Church is the Virgin Chapel, which once housed the crucifix of Brother Jerome.
THE NATURAL PARK
Set up in 1963, the park covers a surface of 30 hectares of pinewood. It was founded in order to preserve an important aspect of the town of Cervia, i.e. nature.
At the same time it offers the tourists a full-immersion experience within the typical flora and fauna of the area. In the park they can admire lots of different animals, both wild animals and domestic or ‘farm’ animals. A winding botanic path, providing many detailed monographs, presents the typical vegetation of the pinewood in Cervia.
THE PINEWOOD
It currently extends on 260 hectares, in addition to the 30 hectares of the Natural Park. Even if it is smaller than in the past, the Pinewood in Cervia still represents a patrimony of great naturalistic interest, offering breathtaking landscapes and views.
The vegetation presents two different species of pines – the stone-pine and the cluster-pine –along with oak trees, white poplars and robinias. The Pinewood is divided into four areas where you can choose among 32 different paths.
