CERVIA
Ficocle (today’s Cervia) is mentioned in the annals since the end of the fifth century but only in 997 the place was called “Cervia” for the first time, in a letter from the Pope; ad locum qui dicitur Cervia. According to the legend, a deer (cervo) went down on his knees every time the bishop was visiting the place. Others are in favour of another etymology: the latin word acervus stands for heap and it could refer to the heaps of white salt that have been there for many centuries. Many times ancient Cervia was attacked and destroyed by powerful neighbours because of the precious salt-works (during that epoch salt was indeed equal to “white gold”). Today’s modern Cervia has nothing to do with the ancient one, destroyed by King Theoderic in 709 A.C., at that time a marshy, unhealthy village in the center of the salt-works. Today the salt-works are becoming more and more a heritage for the industrial archaeology, thus becoming history. Cervia, Milano Marittima and Tagliata have today a 10 km seaside, modern high class hotels and of course our first class Adriatic Golf Club Cervia.