Aurelio Saffi Public Library The Aurelio Saffi Public Library is located inside the historical Palazzo del Merenda. 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. The Saffi Municipal Library, in order to continue the renovation works at Palazzo Merenda, from Thursday 8 August 2024, temporarily offers its services at the P. P. Harris Library, at the Parco della Resistenza, entrance Viale Spazzoli 13/a. At Palazzo Merenda, the ANTIQUES, MANUSCRIPTS and PLANS service remains active.
