Architects and Institutions in the construction of the new city of Cervia

By the end of the seventeenth century, the Papacy systematically started losing its international relevance. This situation imposed a general “spending review” on one hand and prompted the Pope to exploit the main industrial poles of the country on the other. In particular, the city of Cervia represented an important economic center due to the collection and sale of the salt produced in its hinterland. Because of its unfortunate position in the midst of swamps, the community was in a serious state of neglect. Therefore, Pope Innocent XII Pig-natelli (1697-1700) approved its reconstruction in a different location. Roman architects such as Girolamo Caccia (1650-1728ca), Abram Paris (1641ca-1716) and Francesco Fontana (1668-1708) played a key role in the definition of the new city grid, basing their projects on functional criteria to promote an image of modernity and on the constant dialogue with the institutions.