Forlì Cathedral

Forlì Cathedral is one of the symbols of the religious and civil history of the city and has been known since the 10th century. A large fresco, placed in the apse of the presbytery and painted in 1863 by Pompeo Randi, illustrates the invention and the recognition of the Holy Cross to which the church is dedicated. In its long history, the Cathedral has undergone several changes. Rebuilt after a fire in the second half of the 12th century, it was completely restored in the 15th century and consecrated in 1475. A few decades earlier a miracle took place in this church, which is the reason why, to this day, citizens hold it particularly dear to their hearts. On February 4th 1428 a school near the Cathedral was completely destroyed by a fire that left only a shred of wall with an image of Virgin Mary, later called Madonna del Fuoco (Our Lady of Fire), who was venerated in that school. Acknowledging the miraculous event, citizens immediately brought the image in procession to the Cathedral, placing it in the chapel to the right of the presbytery, where the baptistery is today. In 1636 it was placed in the newest chapel that was dedicated to the Madonna del Fuoco and the cupola was decorated with Guido Cagnacci and Carlo Cignani’s works. Nowadays, citizens come to pray to their Patron Saint, especially during the novena in anticipation for the feast which is solemnly celebrated on February 4th every year. In the nineteenth century, the Cathedral was almost completely rebuilt and consecrated on October 1st 1890. In 1944, during World War II, the bell tower of the Cathedral, undermined by the Germans, collapsed destroying part of the presbytery, the sacristy and the Madonna del Fuoco chapel.

Miracle of Madonna del Fuoco (Our Lady of Fire)

On the night of 4 February 1428, a fire broke out in the house of the schoolmaster from Forlì Lombardino da Ripapetrosa, leaving the woodcut of the Virgin intact. From that moment, the image was moved to the cathedral where it is still venerated today, under the name of Madonna del Fuoco, patron saint of the city. In the iconography, the Virgin is depicted with the Child, while the sun and moon, symbols of the ancient pagan cult of the Italic god Janus, stand on either side. Following the miracle, the image of Our Lady of Fire was painted on the back of farm wagons and on the tiles placed at the entrance to houses to ward off fires. The peasants celebrated Our Lady of Fire every year from the evening of 3rd February with bonfire, jubilant fires in the fields. Nowadays, on 4th February, the streets around the cathedral are filled with stalls selling the typical piadina of the Madonna del Fuoco, sweet and spicy with aniseed.