Cesena has an ancient history. It was an Umbrian centre, before the roman colonisation. When Romans occupied the Savio Valley, between the III and the II century B.C., they settled in Cesena. In this town the Emilia road made and still makes a large bend.

The agricultural products of this territory were already famous two thousand years ago. Plinio, in the XIV book of Natural History, places the "Cesenate" (our "Sangiovese") among the most famous wines of the Empire. During the Comunale age, Cesena was theatre of hard conflicts.

In 1357 Cia of Ubaldini, wife of Francesco Ordelaffi, Lord of Forlì and Capitain of People in Cesena, was forced to surrender, after defending the Fortress with a legendary bravery. So Cesena returned under the pontifical administration. Hundred years later (1377) the town had terrible days: Breton mercenary soldiers, paid by Pope Gregorio XI, set Cesena on fire, on the pretext of putting down a rebellion between soldiers and merchants.

The town, almost destroyed, was granted from Pope Urbano VI to Galeotto Malatesta.
Under the rule of the Malatesta, Cesena flourished again: nowadays this is testified by the important Malatestas' monuments such as the Fortress and above all the extraordinary Malatestas' Library, treasure of architecture and European History, that was born under the rule of Malatesta Novello, refined humanist. With the death of Novello, in 1465, the domination ends.
After a short domination of Cesare Borgia, at the beginning of 1500, Cesena returned under the Papal State (in fact Cesena is the birthplace of two Popes, Pio VI and Pio VII, and it adopted a third one, Pope Pio VIII. That is why this town is known to be "the town of three Popes"). Papal domination lasted for three centuries, until the unification of Italy.

From the Risorgimento new strong political passions were born, Mazzini faction and Garibaldi faction, under the sign of a strong civil and responsible commitment that is a characteristic of this country today too. After the 1861, the liberals, often deeply separated, found unity in front of the danger of popular parties and they head the public administration until the end of the century. Their most famous men were Gaspare Finali (more times minister) and the historian Nazzareno Trovanelli, director of the weekly magazine "The Citizen" that was the spokesman of moderates for about 25 years.
At the beginning of 1900, the republicans, headed by Ubaldo Comandini, came to public administration (often in contrast with socialists) and they governed until the coming of Fascism.

From September 1943 to 20th of October 1944 (the day of Liberation) Cesena gave a big contribution of men and blood to the fight for National Liberation and Resistance. After the 1945, even among bitter ideological differences, it had been possible to create a big economical development also thanks to the individual and general task of traders, artisans, co-operatives, farmers ready to experiment with new and modern cultivation. Besides, Cesena has had a big town planning, providing itself with modern infrastructures and facilities.
The coming of University is the last act of the "reconstruction" of Cesena, which now takes a leading part, also from a cultural point of view, at a regional and national level.