Cesenatico is a port town with about 20,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Ravenna. Cesenatico’s port canal was surveyed and drawn by Leonardo da Vinci at the request of Cesare Borgia, as part of his plans to fortify the nearby town of Cesena.
Cesenatico was founded in 1302. It was considered part of the city of Cesena until it was incorporated at the beginning of the 18th century. Its port and canal were built in 1500, with the canal originally planned to reach Cesena, some 15 kilometres (9 mi) inland. At the request of Cesare Borgia the canal was later surveyed by Leonardo da Vinci. It is often claimed that da Vinci designed the canal. In 1722 James Francis Edward Stuart (the ‘Old Pretender’ to the British throne) stayed in Cesenatico’s Capuchin monastery.