 Introduction
The sea is an integral part of the city. It can be seem in the promenade which inspired famous painters, elegant fin-de-siècle beach concessions and Art Nouveau villas which hosted the international elite for vacations, and you will find plenty of places to sample top-quality seafood.
Arrival Plane
The closest airport to Livorno is Pisa's Galileo Galilei International Airport in Pisa. A shuttle bus will take you to the Pisa Centrale train station where trains leave for Livorno. Otherwise, you can fly to Florence or Roma Fiumicino, and go to Livorno by train.
Train
Livorno is on the Rome-Genoa line with frequent trains in both directions. Livorno is also connected to Florence by direct trains, the trip lasts around one and a half hours. See the Trenitalia website for train schedules.
Car
From Rome take A12 Roma-Civitavecchia freeway and continue on highway E80 (the Aurelia) until Livorno. From Milan take the A1 freeway to Parma, then the A15 for La Spezia, and the A12 to Livorno. From Florence take the Firenze-Pisa-Livorno (Fi-Pi-Li) until the city centre. From Bologna take the A1 freeway until the Firenze-Signa exit and then the Firenze-Pisa-Livorno highway.
History and Culture
By the end of the 18th century had become the largest town in Tuscany after Florence. Soon afterwards the town greeted a lively multiracial community, thanks to the politics of Ferdinando de Medici. In fact, he encouraged the reception of the exiled people who were subject to political or religious persecutions. Thus the foreign communities, called “Nazioni” flourished; primarily Jews, who lived here free from the humiliation of a ghetto, but also Greeks, Armenians, English, French, Dutch, Spaniards, Portuguese, Russians, Muslims and Waldensians. Many remains can still be seen of this old cosmopolitan city: the various churches of the Nazioni, cemeteries, cuisine and Livorno's inhabitants. Livorno was declared a free port, where goods were completely exempt from taxes. In 1629 Ferdinando II had a new quarter built by Venetian masters which connected the 23 islands by bridges: this quarter is now called Venezia Nuova. The year 1736 marked the end of the Medici dynasty and the rise of the Grand Dukes of Lorraine, connected to Austria's's Hapsburgs. The city began to expand outside the Medici walls, slowly losing its city-fortress appearance.
With the unity of Italy (1868), the town lost its quality as a free port and its economical development diminished, reaching then the balance and the development degree of our days. During the Second World War the town suffered heavy damage, particularly to its historic buildings, and now preserves only a few buildings of any age. The Venice district has managed to preserve most of its original town planning and architectural features such as the bridges, the narrow lanes, the noblemen's houses and a dense network of canals which once linked the port to its storehouses. Livorno was the birthplace of the painter Amedeo Modigliani (1844-1920) and the composer Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945).
Churches and Museums
In the center of the old town is the cathedral (San Francesco d'Assisi), built between 1594 and 1606 to the design of Bernardo Buontalenti and Alessandro Pieroni. After its destruction during the Second World War (1943) it was rebuilt in its original form. The interior contains a number of tombs and ceiling-frescoes by Iàcopo Ligozzi, Passignano and Iàcopo da Èmpoli (all 16th-17th century).
San Ferdinando
The little Church of San Ferdinando, also known as the Chiesa della Crocetta, stands outside the old town to the northwest. A Baroque structure (1707-14) by Giovanni Battista Foggini, it was largely rebuilt after the Second World War, like many other churches in Livorno. It contains sculpture by Giovanni Baratta (1670-1747), including figures of St Louis of France and St Henry the Pious of Germany and allegorical representations of the Christian virtues.
Museo Mascagnano
The Museo Mascagnano houses memorabilia, documents and operas by the great composer Pietro Mascagni. Every year some of his operas are traditionally played during the lyric music season, which is organised by the Traditional Theatre of Livorno.
Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori
The Museo Civico in Livorno, in the park of the Villa Fabbricotti to the south of the new town, contains works by the Macchiaioli, a group of painters formed in the mid-19th century, whose principal aim was to overcome academic restrictions.
Museo d'Arte Contemporanea
In a park to the southeast of the old town is the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea (Museum of Contemporary Art), mainly devoted to work by Italian artists. Special exhibitions on particular themes are put on from time to time.
Yeshivà Marini Jewish Museum
The museum displays a collection of furniture and sacred paraments, a collection of 17th to 20th century books and a 16th Hekhàl which contains the rolls of the Torah. The exhibited works come from the old Synagogue which was destroyed during the war. The museum is home to Dutch, Northern African, Florentine, Roman and Venetian objects as well as those made by Livorno's inhabitants. The museum is open by reservation only. Information and reservations: tel. +39.0586.893361.
Historical buildings and monuments
The "Monumento dei quattro mori" (“Monument of the Four Turks”), dedicated to Grand Duke Ferdinando II de' Medici of Tuscany, is one of the most important monuments of Livorno. located in Piazza del Padiglione, in front of the old wharf and Medici port. The monument is composed of a marble statue of Grand Duke Ferdinando II and four bronze statues depicting chained prisoners. The bodies of the four Muslims has a great moving effect which contrasts with the cold and detached appearance of the Grand Duke. The monument celebrates the Order of the Knights of St. Stephen, founded in 1561 by Cosimo I De' Medici to liberate the Mediterranean from the threat of Turkish pirates.
Cisternone
To the east of the Piazza della Repùbblica, reached by way of Via de Larderel, is the Cisternone (1829-32), a an impressive Neoclassical building inspired on Roman baths, which was used to purify the water brought to the city from the Colognole aqueduct. fronted by a Doric portico and a large vaulted niche. The portico with eight Doric columns is surmounted by an impressive niche. The interior is a large decantation cistern divided into naves by pilasters emerged in the water.
Fortezza Vecchia
At the north end of the old port area of Livorno is the Fortezza Vecchia (Old Fortress), an impressive pentagonal fortress surrounded by moats built by Antonio da Sangallo for Cardinal Giulio de' Mèdici between 1521 and 1534 to defend the Medici port. It is dominated by a cylindrical tower known as the Màstio di Matilde, part of an earlier 11th century castle. The fortress is enclosed by powerful ramparts reinforced in the 19th century to house artillery .
Fortezza Nuova
Fortezza Nuova (New Fortress) is an impressive polygon fortress in stone and brick, built at the end of the 16th century. The fortress is completely surrounded by Medici canals and dominates the old working class district of Venezia Nuova. It is a beautiful example of 16th century fortification, its underground passages, large vaulted halls and walkways for the guards can be visited, while inside is a buttressed rampart which now is home to a public park.
English Cemetery
A very interesting monumental cemetery which contains the tombs of the numerous English community from the 17th to 19th century. The tombs are finely decorated and display poetic inscriptions. During the past century the cemetery was a spot visited by many literati and scholars. The Scottish novelist Tobias Smollet is one of the many famous people buried here.
Places of Interest
The charming quarter filled with canals, islands and bridges, many from the 17th century, which was designed in the same century to house the mercantile class. The network of streets and canals was designed so that goods could be easily transported to and from the nearby port. The dwellings of the quarter perfectly met the trade and living needs, and concealed elegant buildings divided into apartments, which contained warehouses on the first floor. These buildings can be best seen in the centrally located Via Borra, one of the prettiest streets of the city. Venezia Nuova was seriously damaged during WWII. It is currently home to the Effetto Venezia every summer, the biggest event of the city.
Fosso Reale
The city core is surrounded by the Fosso Reale canal which is bridged on the east side by a high vaulted bridge called the Voltone, upon which rests the Piazza della Repubblica.
Piazza della Repubblica
With its characteristic oval shape, it is actually a large bridge. The square was built above a section of canal which surrounded the Medici city ramparts to connect the old city and new city. The architect Bettarini designed an impressive vault 20 meters long, which the square covers, to cross the Fosso Reale.
Shoreline promenade
The shoreline promenade, extends for many kilometers, incorporating a number of humped-back bridges over the canals. The promenade passes in front of a number of imposing 19th century buildings, many constructed in the Liberty style - an Italian variation of the French Art Nouveau style. In many places the oleander, pine trees and tamarisks offer a lush, green, and fragrant counterpoint to both the city and the sea.
Events
Effetto Venezia is a summer festival with dozens of small and large-scale initiatives. It is named for the old quarter where it is held, built along the Medicean canals. The event includes many initiatives which animate the quarter: stalls of artisans and collectors, street performers, acrobats, exhibits and charming boat rides in the canals.
Accademia Navale e Città di Livorno Trophy-April
A various category sailboat race held in the sea in front of the Navy Academy. The race has increased in size and now involves competitors from all over the world, with an average of 500 crews. Performances, exhibits and concerts accompany the event for the entire week.
Palio Marinaro-July
Palio Marinaro is Livorno's main rowing race. The Palio Marinaro is raced the second Sunday in July in the sea in front of Terrazza Mascagni. The city's quarters challenge each other for the prize on 10 oar “gozzi”, typical 10 meter boats. The event concludes with the award ceremony for the crews and a great city party.
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Livorno Travel Guide
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