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dell’Abate, today Piazza Saffi, has been a market
place, or rather the location of the great market
of Forlì, which has always been a trading space,
especially for agriculture and textiles. Even today, the
market is held in front of the Basilica twice a week.
Without fail, it gives us the opportunity to gather in
prayer and admiration of its lovely interior in the half-
light, but also the possibility to take in a breath at the
top of the steps in front. We might also mention that to
set up the market space, which is the most important
commercial activity of the town, the Municipality of
Forlì signed a sort of loan agreement with the Abbot
of S. Mercuriale in 1212. So does the square still
belong to the Abbey? It is enough to let the question
stand, for the sake of curiosity. In any case, the
Abbey complex, the market, the Via Emilia (roughly
corresponding to the current Corso della Repubblica),
as well as other reasons, give us insight as to why the
city extended in the direction of Cesena, and it ended
up encompassing the ancient monastery named after
the Saint Protobishop of Forli.
Last but certainly not least, we should talk about
the beautiful façade of the Basilica, with its precious
Romanesque portal and beautiful rose window of
the Magi. This is what remains of the façade, rebuilt
several times over the centuries, and restored in the
first quarter of the last century with the addition of
the rose window. The window, in particular, made by
an artist who was active in the first half of the 13th
century, is one of the most significant Romanesque
sculptural works in Romagna. If Mercuriale connects
us to the East, all the more reason the Magi of the
rose window open us to the whole world because,
according to the Gospel of Matthew, they represent
all people who are called to enter, through Jesus
Christ, into the family of the children of God. The
rose window depicts two scenes from the Gospel of
Matthew: the adoration of the Magi, which we begin
reading from the left, and the dream of the Magi. The
recent cleaning and consolidation of the façade have
allowed many to rediscover our city’s treasure. Here
let me say that such a treasure also inspires us to take
And now I come to the original reason for the
importance of the Abbey: it is the location of the relics
of the first Bishop of the Church of Forlì, according
to local tradition. It seems reasonable that recent
suppositions intimate that S. Mercuriale was built
upon a primitive chapel, erected on the burial ground
of the local bishops and placed, according to Roman
law, outside the city walls. The oldest bishop’s name
to be read there was Mercuriale. The medieval legend
says he was a zealous and holy shepherd, ready to
defend his flock. Saint Mercuriale is said to have tamed
the dragon that threatened ruin and death, probably
a symbol of the heresy that mortally lacerated the
Christian Community. Also, he is said to have gone in
search of his fellow citizens who had become slaves,
redeeming them and bringing them back home. The
Name Day of the Saint, April 30th, was for centuries
the main feast day of the city of Forlì, celebrated with
a Palio race and the participation of all of the ‘city’s
authorities. Later, especially from the seventeenth
century onward, Forlì became a Marian city, with the
patronage of Our Lady of the Fire prevailing. Your
mum is always your mum, but, in this case, it was
to the detriment of the cult of the Holy Protobishop,
and it also contributed to a contentious relationship
between the Abbot and the diocesan Bishop.
In recent times, the Saint’s Name Day was changed
to October 26th, the day the relics were placed in
the Mercuriali Chapel at the beginning of the 17th
century. They are still there, after having been placed
in a marble urn commissioned for this purpose two
years ago. I would like to quickly remind you that
the canonical-scientific reconnaissance of these
relics, which took place three years ago, surprisingly
resulted in confirming the tradition about Mercuriale
coming from faraway Armenia. And the analysis still
continues. The city of ‘Forli’s history, therefore, would
expand its horizons, as it is connected to the oldest
Christian kingdom in the world: Armenia.
advantage of our restful moments, not only because it
is necessary to alternate rest and active wakefulness,
but because the dream state of those whose hearts
are open to God and to others can show us how
to begin again on a new path. And it goes without
saying that there is a need, especially now, for new
beginnings.
