FORLI, a town and episcopal see of Emilia (anc. Forum Livii), Italy, capital of the province of For11, 4o m. S.E. of Bologna on the railway to Rimini, 108 ft. above sea-level. The population of the commune in 1931 was 60,824. The church of S. Mercuriale in the square contains paintings, and good carved and inlaid choir stalls. The fine square, brick campanile (1178-118o) is 252 f t. in height. The municipal picture gallery contains works by Marco Palmezzano (i456-1537) and other interesting pic tures, including a fresco representing an apprentice with pestle and mortar (Pestapepe), the only authentic work in For11 of Melozzo da For11 (1438-1494), pupil of Piero della Francesca, and master of Palmezzano, of whose works there are several here. The Palazzo del Podesta is a brick building of the 13th century. The citadel (Rocca Ravaldina) was constructed about 1360 137o, and rebuilt later. The felt industry has considerable im portance and the surrounding territory is very fertile.
Of the ancient Forum Livii, which lay on the Via Aemilia, hardly anything is known. In the 12th century we find Forli in league with Ravenna, and in the 13th the imperial count of the province of Romagna resided there. In 1275 Forli defeated Bologna with great loss. Martin IV. sent an army to besiege it in 1282, which was driven out after severe fighting in the streets; but the town soon afterwards surrendered. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was under the government of the Ordelaffi ; and in 1500 was taken by Caesar Borgia, despite a determined resistance by Caterina Sforza, widow of Girolamo Riario. Forli finally became a part of the papal state in 1504.