The Saffi Municipal Library, in order to allow for the restoration of Palazzo Merenda, the historic home of the cultural institute, will transfer its Modern and Children’s sections to Palazzo Romagnoli in Via Albicini 12 from May 29, 2025.
This new welcoming space is designed as a place for people to gather and share, with areas dedicated to reading and relaxation. Among the library’s new services is an even richer digital platform from which it will be possible to access ebooks, films, audiobooks, and much more. One of the most innovative aspects of the new layout project is the widespread museum, called “A Museum in the Library.” The library rooms house paintings and sculptures by great artists from Romagna, belonging to the Grande Romagna Collection, which can be freely admired by all citizens in a setting that combines knowledge and beauty. The consultation service for the Ancient Collections, Manuscripts, and Piancastelli remains active at Palazzo Merenda.
Description of the Building
The building takes its name from the Romagnoli family, originally from Cesena, who settled in Forlì from 1806 when Lorenzo Romagnoli became Prefect of the city during the French government. The building, sold by the family in 1965 to the Municipality, was for a long time used by the Army as the headquarters of the military district of the Province of Forlì for military medical examinations.
In its present form, Palazzo Romagnoli is the result of the amalgamation of several pre-existing building units unified in a single architectural structure. The ceilings of the ground floor and those of the piano nobile, accessed by the monumental staircase, are entirely decorated in a ‘transitional’ style between Baroque and Neoclassical, partly attributable to the workshop of Felice Giani.