Aurelio Saffi Public Library The Saffi Municipal Library, in order to allow the renovation of Palazzo Merenda, the historical seat of the cultural institute, from 29 May 2025, will move the Modern and Children's sections to Palazzo Romagnoli in Via Albicini 12. A new welcoming space conceived as a place for gathering and sharing, with rooms 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, audio books and much more. One of the most innovative aspects of the new layout project is the diffuse museum, called ‘A Museum in the Library'. The rooms of the library in fact house paintings and sculptures by great artists from Romagna, belonging to the la Grande Romagna Collection, which can be freely admired by all citizens in a context that integrates all citizens in a context that integrates knowledge and beauty.At Palazzo Merenda the consultation service of the Antique, Manuscript and Piancastelli remains active. HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY In Forlì people started talking about the Public Library only since 1840 when in the sumptuous Palazzo della Missione (now entirely occupied by the Province), the second floor was freed to house books and shelves. In 1921, following the construction of the new hospital of Forlì, the Cultural Institutes of the City of Forlì (Library, Art Gallery and Museums) were transferred to the old hospital designed in the XVIII century by the architect Giuseppe Merenda, where they still are today. In 1938, the Municipal Library was enriched by the Piancastelli donation, which includes over 60,000 items and countless antique or rare books that are almost unique. There is an impressive collection of autographs (together with the relative documents, about 250,000) divided into various sections: from illustrious personalities of the 12th century to the early 20th century. In 1946 the Modern Section was opened to the public, a continuation of the nineteenth-century Biblioteca Popolare.
