01Cesena at a glance
Cesena is the old Malatesta city in inland Romagna. It is home to the Biblioteca Malatestiana (Malatesta Library), the only 15th-century humanist library to have survived intact, with its original building, desks and manuscripts.
From Hotel Viking, the Antonioli family's 3-star hotel in Viserbella di Rimini, it's 30.8 km, about 35 minutes by car: set off after breakfast and you'll be back by the sea in the evening for our Romagna cooking. For more ideas, see our villages to visit in the hills page.
| Where | Biblioteca Malatestiana (Malatesta Library), Piazza Bufalini 1, 47521 Cesena (FC) |
|---|---|
| From the hotel by car | 30.8 km, about 35 minutes |
| When to go | all year, in daylight: the Aula del Nuti can only be seen by natural light |
02History
- Cesena was founded around the 5th century BC and in Roman times grew up along the Via Emilia: in the surrounding plain you can still see the Roman grid of fields known as centuriation.
- In the 15th century the city was ruled by Domenico Malatesta, known as Malatesta Novello, brother of Sigismondo, lord of Rimini.
- The library hall was built from 1447 to 1452 to a design by the architect Matteo Nuti, inside the Franciscan friary. The Malatestiana opened on 15 August 1454.
- When Malatesta Novello died in 1465, the library passed into the care of the town council, as he had wished, and Cesena went back to the Papal States.
- In 1502 Leonardo da Vinci came to Cesena on behalf of Cesare Borgia to survey the fortifications; his drawings of the walls and the fortress survive.
- Cesena was the birthplace of two popes: Pius VI, elected in 1775, and Pius VII, elected in 1800. In 2005 UNESCO added the Malatestiana to its Memory of the World Register, the first entry from Italy.
03What to see
Biblioteca Malatestiana. The heart of the visit is the Aula del Nuti (Nuti Hall), a room with three aisles designed to make the most of the daylight: even today it has no electric lighting. The manuscripts rest on the plutei, the original 15th-century desks, and are still chained to them. The tour also takes in the Sala Piana, with the books of Pius VII, the pope from Cesena, a selection of manuscripts on display and the smallest book in the world.
Rocca Malatestiana (Malatesta fortress). It looks down on the city from the top of the Garampo hill, inside the Parco della Rimembranza. It has a pentagonal plan and two great towers, the Maschio and the Femmina (the Male and the Female), joined by walls and walkways. The Maschio holds a collection of arms and armour, and the Femmina the Museo di Storia dell'Agricoltura (Museum of the History of Farming). From the ramparts, which you can visit with a guide, the view stretches across the plain to the sea. You walk up from Piazza del Popolo, taking the steps in front of the Fontana Masini.
Piazza del Popolo and Fontana Masini. This is the main square, with the Palazzo Comunale (town hall) and the Palazzo del Ridotto, where you'll find the bronze statue of Pius VI. In the middle stands the Fontana Masini, in Istrian stone: it was designed by the Cesena painter and architect Francesco Masini (1588) and the water began to flow in 1591. At the corners, four tritons blow water from shells. The market is held in the square on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Abbazia di Santa Maria del Monte. On the Spaziano hill, this Benedictine abbey is about a thousand years old: the monastery was founded around 1001. The future Pius VII was a novice here. The basilica holds one of the richest collections of painted ex votos in Europe, small panels covering more than five centuries. From the centre it's about a twenty-minute walk along the Via delle Scalette.
Teatro Alessandro Bonci. Opened on 15 August 1846 to a design by the architect Vincenzo Ghinelli, it is a traditional Italian-style theatre with a neoclassical front, a horseshoe-shaped auditorium and about 800 seats. In 1927 it was named after the Cesena tenor Alessandro Bonci. Today it hosts the drama season and is one of the venues of Emilia Romagna Teatro.
The Duomo and Ponte Vecchio. The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista (cathedral of St John the Baptist) has the Cappella della Madonna del Popolo, frescoed in 1750 by Corrado Giaquinto, and the Museo della Cattedrale. Not far away, the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), also called the Ponte Clemente, is the oldest bridge in the city and crosses the river Savio at one of its narrowest points.
Sources: sititematici.comune.cesena.fc.it · unesco.org · emiliaromagnaturismo.it · italia.it · it.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · museionline.info Information checked in October 2026.
04Festivals and food fairs
- San Giovanni, la Festa dell'Estate (St John's, the Summer Festival), around 24 June, the feast of the patron saint; in 2026: 20–24 June: Five days of stalls, music and street food in the old town. Its symbols are garlic, lavender and the red sugar whistle.
Dates change every year, so always check before you set off. Sources: lanotterosa.it
05Visitor information
Biblioteca Malatestiana Antica (Piazza Bufalini 1): visits are only with the library's guide, on tours every hour, with a maximum of 25 people per tour; the tour takes about 40 minutes. From 1 November to 31 March it's open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-4pm (last entry 3pm), closed on Mondays; from 1 April to 31 October it's open Monday 2pm-7pm and Tuesday to Sunday 10am-7pm (last entry 6pm). Closed on 25 December and 1 January. The 1pm tour is in English if there are foreign visitors. Full ticket €8, reduced €5 (over-75s, young people aged 18-25, groups of more than 10, members of FAI, Touring Club and Italia Nostra); free for under-18s and on the first Sunday of the month. Booking is recommended: tel. 0547 610892, prenotazioni@comune.cesena.fc.it, or online tickets. The Scopri Cesena Card (€13, on sale at the IAT tourist office, Piazza del Popolo 9) gets you into the Malatestiana, the Rocca Malatestiana, Villa Silvia-Carducci and the Museo dell'Ecologia. Rocca Malatestiana: guided tours of about 50 minutes; in summer on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am, 12pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm, booked by WhatsApp on 366 8274626 (check winter times).
Opening times and prices may change: always check the official website before you go.
Sources: sititematici.comune.cesena.fc.it · coopculture.it · roccacesena.it Information checked in October 2026.
06How to get there from Hotel Viking
By car: 30.8 km, about 35 minutes. At reception we'll suggest the best route and where to park, and we can make you a packed lunch if you ask.
Your space back at the hotel stays free in our private car park, which is fenced and has CCTV. You'll find other places to see on the same day below.
07Nearby
All the villages on one page: villages to visit in the hills. For more ideas, see things to do in Rimini.
08What our guests say
What our guests say about their day trips.
Day trips
«You can book trips inland with the help of the reception staff»
Sea and hills
«great view from the balcony, towards the sea on one side and the hinterland on the other»
09FAQ
How much does it cost to visit the Biblioteca Malatestiana, and when is it open?
A full ticket costs €8 and a reduced ticket €5. Under-18s get in free, and everyone gets in free on the first Sunday of the month. From November to March it's open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-4pm (last entry 3pm); from April to October it's also open on Monday afternoons, and closes at 7pm.
How long should I allow for Cesena?
The guided tour of the Malatestiana takes about 40 minutes and the tour of the Rocca about 50. With a walk round Piazza del Popolo, the Duomo and the climb up to the Abbazia del Monte, a full day or a good half day is about right.
Do I need to book a visit to the Malatestiana?
Booking is recommended, because each tour takes a maximum of 25 people. You can book by phone on 0547 610892, by email at prenotazioni@comune.cesena.fc.it, or by buying your ticket online, which fixes the day and time.
Is the Malatestiana suitable for children and people with limited mobility?
Yes. The tour is on the first floor, but there's a lift and no steps or other barriers. Remember that the Aula del Nuti can only be visited in daylight, because it has no artificial lighting.
Is there a combined ticket for the sights in Cesena?
Yes, the Scopri Cesena Card costs €13 and covers the Biblioteca Malatestiana Antica, the Rocca Malatestiana, Villa Silvia-Carducci with Musicalia and the Museo dell'Ecologia. You can buy it at the IAT tourist office in Piazza del Popolo 9.
How far is Cesena from Hotel Viking?
30.8 km, about 35 minutes by car from Viserbella di Rimini.
Where should I stay to visit Cesena?
Hotel Viking in Viserbella di Rimini is a 3-star hotel 150 metres from the sea, with a private car park, open all year and well placed for day trips.
