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Livorno () is a port city on the
Ligurian Sea The Ligurian Sea ( it, Mar Ligure; french: Mer Ligurienne; lij, Mâ Ligure) is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies between the Italian Riviera (Liguria) and the island of Corsica. The sea is thought to have been named after the ancient L ...
on the western coast of
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, Italy. It is the capital of the
Province of Livorno The province of Livorno or, traditionally, province of Leghorn ( it, provincia di Livorno) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It includes several islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, including Elba and Capraia. Its capital is the city of ...
, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronounced , "Leghorn"
in the
Oxford Dictionaries Online Lexico was a dictionary website that provided a collection of English and Spanish dictionaries produced by Oxford University Press (OUP), the publishing house of the University of Oxford. While the dictionary content on Lexico came from OUP, th ...
.
or ). During the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
, Livorno was designed as an "
ideal town An ideal city is the concept of a plan for a city that has been conceived in accordance with a particular rational or moral objective. Concept The "ideal" nature of such a city may encompass the moral, spiritual and juridical qualities of cit ...
". Developing considerably from the second half of the
16th century The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 ( MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 ( MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582). The 16th cent ...
by the will of the
House of Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mug ...
, Livorno was an important free port, giving rise to intense commercial activity, in the hands, for the most part, of foreign traders, and seat of consulates and shipping companies, becoming the main port-city of the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...
. The status of a multiethnic and multicultural Livorno lasted until the second half of the nineteenth century; however, the vestiges of that time can still be seen in the churches, villas and palaces of the city. Livorno is considered the most modern among all the Tuscan cities, and is the third most populous of Tuscany, after
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
and
Prato Prato ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the north east of Tuscany, at the foot of Monte Retaia, elevation , the last peak in the Calvana chain. With more than 200,000 i ...
.


History


Origins

The origins of Livorno are controversial, although the place was inhabited since the
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
Age as shown by worked bones, pieces of copper and ceramic found on the
Livorno Hills The Livorno Hills (also known as Leghorn Hills, or in Italian as the Colline Livornesi) is a hill range in Tuscany, included in the municipalities of Livorno, Collesalvetti and Rosignano Marittimo, and in the Province of Livorno The province ...
in a cave between ''Ardenza'' and ''Montenero''. The
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities ** Etrusca ...
settlement was called Labro. The construction of the
Via Aurelia The ''Via Aurelia'' (Latin for "Aurelian Way") is a Roman road in Italy constructed in approximately 241 BC. The project was undertaken by Gaius Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor.Hornblower, Simon, & Antony Spawforth. ''The Oxford Cl ...
coincided with the occupation of the region by the
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, who left traces of their presence in the
toponyms Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
and ruins of towers. The natural cove called ''Liburna'' is a reference to the type of ship, the
liburna A liburna was a type of small galley used for raiding and patrols. It was originally used by the Liburnians, a pirate tribe from Dalmatia, and later used by the Roman navy.. History A stone tablet (''Stele di Novilara'') found near ancient Pis ...
, used by
Roman navy The naval forces of the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman state ( la, Classis, lit=fleet) were instrumental in the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean Basin, but it never enjoyed the prestige of the Roman legions. Throughout their history, the Romans re ...
. Other ancient toponyms include ''Salviano'' (Salvius) and ''Antignano'' (Ante ignem) which was the place situated before ''Ardenza'' (Ardentia) where beacons directed the ships to
Porto Pisano Porto Pisano, also known as Triturrita, was the main seaport of the Republic of Pisa, located on the Ligurian Sea coast close to the mouth of the Arno River. In the 13th century, at its peak, Porto Pisano was one of the most important sea ports in ...
.
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
mentioned Liburna in a letter to his brother and called it Labrone.


Medieval

Livorna is mentioned for the first time in 1017 as a small coastal village, the port and the remains of a Roman tower under the rule of
Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one o ...
. In 1077, a tower was built by
Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as th ...
. The
Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa ( it, Repubblica di Pisa) was an independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa, which existed from the 11th to the 15th century. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated ...
owned Livorna from 1103 and built a quadrangular fort called ''Quadratura dei Pisani'' ("Quarter of the Pisans") to defend the port. ''Porto Pisano'' was destroyed after the crushing defeat of the Pisan fleet in the
Battle of Meloria The Battle of Meloria was fought near the islet of Meloria in the Ligurian Sea on 5 and 6 August 1284 between the fleets of the Republics of Genoa and Pisa as part of the Genoese-Pisan War. The victory of Genoa and the destruction of the Pisan ...
in 1284. In 1399, Pisa sold Livorna to the
Visconti of Milan The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist. The effective founder of the ...
; in 1405 it was sold to the
Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...
; and on 28 August 1421 it was bought by the
Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...
. The name 'Leghorn' derives from Genoese name Ligorna.Si veda in proposito G. Ciccone, ''Livorno: il mistero del nome'', in "Il Pentagono", n. 11, novembre 2009. ''Livorno'' was used certainly in the eighteenth century by Florentines. Between 1427 and 1429, a census counted 118 families in Livorno, including 423 persons. Monks, Jews, military personnel, and the homeless were not included in the census. The only remainder of medieval Livorno is a fragment of two towers and a wall, located inside the Fortezza Vecchia.


Medicean period (1500-1650)

After the arrival of the
Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...
, the ruling dynasty of Florence, some modifications were made; between 1518 and 1534 the '' Fortezza Vecchia'' was constructed, and the voluntary resettlement of the population to Livorno was stimulated, but Livorno still remained a rather insignificant coastal fortress. By 1551, the population had grown to 1562 residents. During the
Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
, when it was ruled by the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...
of the
House of Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mug ...
Livorno was designed as an "
Ideal town An ideal city is the concept of a plan for a city that has been conceived in accordance with a particular rational or moral objective. Concept The "ideal" nature of such a city may encompass the moral, spiritual and juridical qualities of cit ...
". In 1577 the architect
Bernardo Buontalenti Bernardo Buontalenti (), byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole ( 1531 – June 1608), was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist and inventor of italian ice cream. Biography Buontalenti was born in ...
drew up the first plan. The new fortified town had a
pentagonal In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simpl ...
design, for which it is called '' Pentagono del Buontalenti'', incorporating the original settlement. The '' Porto Mediceo'' was overlooked and defended by
tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
s and fortresses leading to the
town centre A town centre is the commerce, commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town. Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train ...
. In the late 1580s,
Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I. Early life Ferdinando was the fifth son (the third surviving at t ...
, declared Livorno a
free port Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which com ...
(''porto franco''), which meant that the goods traded here were
duty-free A duty-free shop (or store) is a retail outlet whose goods are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country, w ...
within the area of the town's control. In 1593, the Duke's administration established the ''Leggi Livornine'' to regulate trade. These laws protected merchant activities from crime and
racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and of ...
, and instituted laws regarding
international trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significant ...
. The laws established a well-regulated market and were in force until 1603. Expanding Christian tolerance, the laws offered the right of public
freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
and
amnesty Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...
to people having to gain
penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...
given by clergy in order to conduct civil business. The Grand Duke attracted numerous Turks, Persians, Moors, Greeks, and Armenians, along with
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
immigrants. The arrival of the latter began in the late sixteenth century with the
Alhambra Decree The Alhambra Decree (also known as the Edict of Expulsion; Spanish: ''Decreto de la Alhambra'', ''Edicto de Granada'') was an edict issued on 31 March 1492, by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain ( Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Arag ...
, which resulted in the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal - while Livorno extended to them rights and privileges; they contributed to the mercantile wealth and scholarship in the city. Livorno became an enlightened European city and one of the most important ports of the entire
Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...
. Many European foreigners moved to Livorno. These included Christian Protestant reformers who supported such leaders as
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
,
John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
, and others. French,
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
, and English arrived, along with Orthodox
Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
. Meanwhile, Jews continued to trade under their previous treaties with the Grand Duke. On 19 March 1606, Ferdinando I de' Medici elevated Livorno to the rank of city; the ceremony was held in the ''Fortezza Vecchia'' Chapel of
Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
. The
Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
increased tensions among Christians; dissidents to the
Papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
were targeted by various Catholic absolute rulers. Livorno's tolerance fell victim to the
European wars of religion The European wars of religion were a series of wars waged in Europe during the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. Fought after the Protestant Reformation began in 1517, the wars disrupted the religious and political order in the Catholic Chu ...
. But, in the preceding period, the merchants of Livorno had developed a series of trading networks with Protestant Europe, and the Dutch, British, and Germans worked to retain these. In 1653 a naval battle, the
Battle of Leghorn The naval Battle of Leghorn took place on 4 March 1653 (14 March Gregorian calendar), during the First Anglo-Dutch War, near Leghorn (Livorno), Italy. It was a victory of a Dutch squadron under Commodore Johan van Galen over an English squadron ...
was fought near Livorno during the
First Anglo-Dutch War The First Anglo-Dutch War, or simply the First Dutch War, ( nl, Eerste Engelse (zee-)oorlog, "First English (Sea) War"; 1652–1654) was a conflict fought entirely at sea between the navies of the Commonwealth of England and the Dutch Republic, ...
.


17th century and later

At the end of the 17th century, Livorno underwent a period of great
urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
and expansion. Near the defensive pile of the Old Fortress, a new fortress was built, together with the town walls and the system of navigable canals through neighbourhoods. After the port of
Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
had silted up in the 13th century, its distance from the sea increased and it lost its dominance in trade, so Livorno took over as the main port in
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
. By 1745 Livorno's population had risen to 32,534 persons. The more successful of the European powers re-established trading houses in the region, especially the British with the
Levant Company The Levant Company was an English chartered company formed in 1592. Elizabeth I of England approved its initial charter on 11 September 1592 when the Venice Company (1583) and the Turkey Company (1581) merged, because their charters had expired, ...
. In turn, the trading networks grew, and with it, Britain's cultural contact with Tuscany. An increasing number of British writers, artists, philosophers, and travellers visited the area and developed the unique historical ties between the two communities. The British referred to the city as "Leghorn". Through the centuries, the city's trade fortunes fell and rose according to the success or failure of the Great Powers. The British and their Protestant allies were important to its trade. During the
Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars The Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) were a series of conflicts fought principally in Northern Italy between the French Revolutionary Army and a Coalition of Austria, Russia, Piedmont-Sardinia, and a number o ...
of the late eighteenth century, Napoleon's troops occupied Livorno with the rest of Tuscany. Under the
Continental System The Continental Blockade (), or Continental System, was a large-scale embargo against British trade by Napoleon Bonaparte against the British Empire from 21 November 1806 until 11 April 1814, during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon issued the Berlin ...
, the French prohibited trade with Britain, and the economy of Livorno suffered greatly. The French had altogether taken over Tuscany in 1808, incorporating it into the Napoleonic empire. After the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
, Austrian rule replaced the French. In 1861,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
succeeded in its wars of unification. At that time it counted 96,471 inhabitants. Livorno and
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
became part of the new
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
and as part of the Kingdom the town lost its status as a free port and the city's commercial importance declined. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Livorno had numerous
public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to re ...
s housing important museums such as the '' Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori'', '' Museo di storia naturale del Mediterraneo'', and
cultural institution A cultural institution or cultural organization is an organization within a culture/subculture that works for the Preservation (library and archive), preservation or promotion of culture. The term is especially used of public and charitable organiz ...
s as the '' Biblioteca Labronica F.D. Guerrazzi'' and others in
Neoclassical style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The pr ...
as '' Cisternone'', ''Teatro Goldoni'' and
Liberty style Liberty style ( it, Stile Liberty) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ''stile floreale'', ''arte nuova'', or ''stile moderno''. It took its name from Arthur Lasenby ...
as ''Palazzo Corallo'', '' Mercato delle Vettovaglie'', '' Stabilimento termale Acque della Salute'', the '' Scuole elementari Benci'' all the last on project by Angiolo Badaloni. During the 1930s, numerous
villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...
s were built on the avenue along the sea in
Liberty style Liberty style ( it, Stile Liberty) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ''stile floreale'', ''arte nuova'', or ''stile moderno''. It took its name from Arthur Lasenby ...
on design by Cioni. In the early 19th century, the first American-born saint,
Elizabeth Ann Seton Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821) was a Catholic religious sister in the United States and an educator, known as a founder of the country's parochial school system. After her death, she became the first person bo ...
, converted from Protestantism to Catholicism while visiting Italian friends in Livorno. The city suffered extensive damage during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Many historic sites and buildings were destroyed by bombs of the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
preceding their invasion, including the
cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
and
Synagogue of Livorno The Synagogue of Livorno is a historic synagogue in Livorno, Italy. ''Tempio Maggiore'' (1603) The first Synagogue of Livorno, called ''Tempio Maggiore'', dates back to 1603. The synagogue was built in a modest and simple style by Claudio Cog ...
. Livorno's citizens in recent decades have become well known for their
left-wing politics Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political%20ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically in ...
. The
Italian Communist Party The Italian Communist Party ( it, Partito Comunista Italiano, PCI) was a communist political party in Italy. The PCI was founded as ''Communist Party of Italy'' on 21 January 1921 in Livorno by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). ...
was founded in Livorno in 1921.


Climate

Livorno has a hot-summer
mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Csa''). Summers have warm days with the heat lingering on throughout the night, hence going above the
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
threshold in spite of its relatively high latitude. Winters are mild for the latitude due to the influence from the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
. Precipitation is in a wet winter/dry summer pattern as with all climates fitting the Mediterranean definition.


Population


Foreigner minorities


Armenian community

Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I. Early life Ferdinando was the fifth son (the third surviving at t ...
issued in 1591 a decree encouraging
Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
to settle in Livorno to increase its trade with the Ottoman Empire and western Asia. By the beginning of the 17th century, Armenians operated 120 shops in town. In 1701 the Armenian community, who were members of the
Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
, were authorized to build their own church, which they dedicated to
Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( Classical hy, Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ, reformed: Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, ''Grigor Lusavorich'';, ''Gregorios Phoster'' or , ''Gregorios Photistes''; la, Gregorius Armeniae Illuminator, cu, Svyas ...
. The project was by
Giovanni Battista Foggini Giovanni Battista (Giambattista) Foggini (25 April 1652 – 12 April 1725) was an Italian sculptor active in Florence, renowned mainly for small bronze statuary. Biography Born in Florence, the young Foggini was sent to Rome by the Medici Gran ...
and the church was completed a few years later but did not open for worship until 1714. The church had a Latin cross plant and a dome at the intersection of the transept and nave. Destroyed during World War II, it was partly restored in 2008 but is not open to worship.


Greek community

The first
Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
who settled in Livorno early in the 16th century were former mercenaries in the fleet of
Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth ...
and their descendants. This community grew and became significant in the 18th and 19th centuries when Livorno became one of the principal hubs of the Mediterranean trade. Most of the new Greek immigrants came from western Greece,
Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...
,
Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
and
Cappadocian Greek Cappadocian Greek ( cpg, Καππαδοκικά, Καππαδοκική Διάλεκτος), also known as Cappadocian or Asia Minor Greek, is a dialect of modern Greek heavily influenced by Turkish, originally spoken in Cappadocia (modern-day ...
. Based on its status since the late 16th century as a
free port Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which com ...
(''port franc'') and the warehouses constructed for long-term storage of goods and grains from the
Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...
, until the late 19th century Livorno enjoyed a strong strategic position related to Greek mercantile interests in the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
, the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
, and the North Atlantic. The conflicts between Great Britain and France during the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
of the early 19th century, with associated port embargoes, piracy, and confiscation of cargoes, played out to the advantage of those Greek merchants willing to accept risk. By the 1820s, Greek entrepreneurs gradually replaced the Protestant British, Dutch, French and other merchants who left the city. The Greeks concentrated on the grain market, banking and ship-brokering. Cargoes of wheat from the Black Sea were received at Livorno, before being re-shipped to England. Returning ships carried textiles and other industrial goods, which Greek merchants shipped to
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
and other destinations in the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. Men from the Greek island of
Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...
controlled much of the trade. In 1839 Livorno had ten major commercial houses, led primarily by ethnic Greeks and Jewish Italians. The ethnic Greek community (''nazione'') had a distinctive cultural and social identity based on their common Greek Orthodox religion, language and history. In 1775 they established the Confraternity of Holy Trinity (''Confraternita della SS. Trinità'') and the Chiesa della Santissima Trinità, the second non-Roman Catholic church in Tuscany. The Armenians had earlier built their own Orthodox church. The community founded a Greek school, awarding scholarships for higher studies to young Greeks from the
Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
,
Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
, Chios or
Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...
. The community raised funds to support the Greek Revolution of 1821, as well as various Greek communities in the Ottoman Empire and in Italy. It also assisted non-Greeks. The Rodocanachi family financed the "School of Mutual Education" established in Livorno by the pedagogist
Enrico Mayer Enrico is both an Italian masculine given name and a surname, Enrico means homeowner, or king, derived from ''Heinrich'' of Germanic origin. It is also a given name in Ladino. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Henri ( French), Enr ...
. The community contributed to founding a school for poor Roman Catholic children. The local governing authorities recognized the contributions of distinguished members of the Greek community (e.g. members of the Papoudoff, Maurogordatos, Rodocanachi, Tossizza and other families) and granted them titles of nobility. After unification and the founding of the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
in 1861, the Greek community in Livorno declined, as the privileges of the free port were rescinded.


Jewish community

See the
history of the Jews in Livorno The history of the Jews in Livorno (Leghorn in English, Liorne or Liorna in Ladino), Italy has been documented since 1583, when descendants of the late 15th-century expulsions from Spain and Portugal settled in the city. They were settled initi ...
.


Dialects

;Vernacolo Livorno inhabitants speak a variant of the Italian
Tuscan dialect Tuscan ( it, dialetto toscano ; it, vernacolo, label=locally) is a set of Italo-Dalmatian varieties of Romance mainly spoken in Tuscany, Italy. Standard Italian is based on Tuscan, specifically on its Florentine dialect, and it became the lan ...
, known as a '' vernacolo''. ''
Il Vernacoliere ''Il Vernacoliere'' is an Italian monthly satirical magazine based in Livorno, Tuscany, Italy, founded in 1982 by editor-director Mario Cardinali. The periodical started to operate as a successor of the pre-existing ''Livornocronaca'', first issue ...
'', a satirical comic-style magazine printed chiefly in the Livornese dialect, was founded in 1982 and is now nationally distributed. ;Bagitto The '' bagitto'' was a Judæo-Italian regional dialect once used by the Jewish community in Livorno. It was a language based on Italian, developed with words coming from Tuscan, Spanish, Portuguese,
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
and
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
; the presence of Portuguese and Spanish words is due to the origin of the first Jews who came to Livorno, having been expelled from the Iberian peninsula in the late 15th century.


Economy


Port of Livorno

The city and its
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
have continued as an important destination for travelers and tourists attracted to its historic buildings and setting. The port processes thousands of cruise-ship passengers of the following
cruise line A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships that operate on ocean or rivers and which markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of passengers. Though ...
: *
AIDA Cruises AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line founded in the early 1960s and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc since 2003. Based in Rostock, Germany, AIDA Cruises caters primarily to the German-speaking market; as seago ...
* Azamara Club Cruises *
Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Cruise Line is an international cruise line with headquarters in Doral, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Its logo is a funnel shaped like a whale's tail, with a red, white, and blue color scheme. This ...
*
Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 19 ...
*
Costa Crociere S.p.A. (), operating as Costa Cruises, is an Italian cruise line founded in 1854 and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc since 2000. Based in Genoa, Italy, the cruise line primarily caters to the Italian cruise ...
*
Cunard Line Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
*
Holland America Line Holland America Line is an American-owned cruise line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. Holland America Line was founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and from 1873 to 1989, it operated ...
*
MSC Cruises MSC Cruises ( it, MSC Crociere) is an Italian global cruise line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1989 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping C ...
*
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6 ...
*
P&O Cruises P&O Cruises is a British cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. It was originally a subsidiary of the shipping company P&O and was founded in 1977. Along w ...
*
Princess Cruises Princess Cruises is an American cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. The company is incorporated in Bermuda and its headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California, Santa Clarita, California. As of 2021, it is the List of cruise lines# ...
*
Pullmantur Cruises Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U.S ...
*
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival C ...
*
Silversea Cruises Silversea Cruises is a luxury cruise line headquartered in Monaco. Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud (ship), ''Silver Cloud''. Si ...
*
Thomson Cruises Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises) is a British cruise line operated by TUI UK, offering cruise holidays around Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia. History The company had initially entered the cruise market in 1973, but due to rising fue ...
* Viking Ocean Cruises many of whom take arranged buses to inland destinations as
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
,
Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
and
Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
.


''Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando''

Since 1866 Livorno has been noted for its
Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando (Orlando Brothers Shipyard) is a historical Italian shipyard in Livorno. History It was founded by Luigi Orlando and his brothers Giuseppe, Paolo and Salvatore who moved to Livorno from Genoa where in 1858 they ...
. Azimut-
Benetti Benetti is an Italian shipbuilding and boat building company based in Viareggio, Livorno, and Fano, owned by Azimut. Benetti designs and constructs motoryachts, and is one of the leading builders of custom superyachts, having won the ''Showb ...
acquired the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando, then of
Fincantieri Fincantieri S.p.A. () is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, after the acquisition of Vard in 2013, Fincantieri group doubled in size to become the fourth largest in the world (2014 ...
, in 2003.


Eni petrochemical

The Eni plant produces
gasoline Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
,
diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and t ...
,
fuel oil Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), bun ...
and
lubricant A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, t ...
s. Livorno refinery was established in 1936 by
Azienda Nazionale Idrogenazione Combustibili Azienda Nazionale Idrogenazione Combustibili (ANIC) was an Italian chemical company, established during the Fascist regime with the objective of obtaining synthetic gasoline by hydrogenation of brown coal. It was set up in 1936 by state-owned Agip ...
(ANIC) but the plant was completely destroyed during World War II. The plant was rebuilt thanks to an agreement between the ANIC and the
Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...
forming the STANIC. The production of the new plant raised from 700,000 to 2 million tons in 1955; nowadays the capacity of refining is 84,000
barrels A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...
per day. The refinery, now property of Eni, is linked to the ''Darsena petroli'' (Oil dock) and to
Firenze Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
depots by two pipelines.


''Leonardo Sistemi di Difesa''

The former ''Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei'' (WASS) plant, based in Livorno produced heavy and light
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
es, anti-torpedo countermeasure systems for submarines and ships and sonar systems for underwater surveillance. The factory was founded by
Robert Whitehead Robert Whitehead (3 January 1823 – 14 November 1905) was an English engineer who was most famous for developing the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo. Early life He was born in Bolton, England, the son of James Whitehead, ...
in 1875 in
Fiume Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
, in that period
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, and produced for the first time torpedoes sold all around the world. In 1905 the factory changed its name to ''Torpedo Fabrik Whitehead & Co. Gesellschaft'' and before his death, Whitehead sold his shares package to
Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...
Armstrong Whitworth Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles and a ...
. At the end of World War I the factory was in economic crisis and was purchased by Giuseppe Orlando, one of the owners of the ''
Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando (Orlando Brothers Shipyard) is a historical Italian shipyard in Livorno. History It was founded by Luigi Orlando and his brothers Giuseppe, Paolo and Salvatore who moved to Livorno from Genoa where in 1858 they ...
'' of Livorno, as Whitehead Torpedo, in 1924 when was signed the
Treaty of Rome The Treaty of Rome, or EEC Treaty (officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community), brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best known of the European Communities (EC). The treaty was sig ...
and Fiume passed to Italy. Whitehead Torpedo established in Livorno the ''Società Moto Fides'' that initially produced motorcycles but changed the production to that of torpedoes. With the end of World War II the Fiume factory closed and merged with ''Moto Fides'' forming the ''Whitehead Moto Fides Stabilimenti Meccanici Riuniti'' on 31 July 1945 manufacturing 1000 A244 light torpedo sold to 15 Navies. The ''Whiteheads Moto Fides'' continued the production of torpedoes in a new plant which opened in 1977 and still operating, then entered in the
Fiat Group Stellantis Italy, formerly known as Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. from 2007 to 2014 and FCA Italy S.p.A. from 2014 to 2021, is the Italian subsidiary of the multinational automaker Stellantis, dedicated to the production and selling of passenger ...
in 1979 and in 1995 passed definitely to
Finmeccanica Leonardo S.p.A., formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and originally Finmeccanica, is an Italian Multinational corporation, multinational company specialising in Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace, arms industry, defence and Information security, securi ...
. It is now owned by
Leonardo S.p.A. Leonardo S.p.A., formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and originally Finmeccanica, is an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, the company has 180 sites worldwide. It is the eighth ...
, as the latter has been renamed since 2018.


''Tuaca''

''
Tuaca Tuaca () is an Italian naturally flavored brandy liqueur. Tuaca is a sweet golden brown blend of brandy, citrus essences, vanilla, and other secret spices. It is bottled at 35% ABV (70 proof). Tuaca's mild, sweet flavor makes it popular as a ...
'' liqueur was produced in Livorno until 2010; the famous distillery was closed and operations were brought to the United States by the new owners. Galliano is still made here and enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.


Government


Main sights


''Acquario comunale "Diacinto Cestoni"''

Livorno Aquarium, dedicated to
Diacinto Cestoni Diacinto (or Giacinto) Cestoni (May 13, 1637 – January 29, 1718) was an Italian naturalist, biologist, botanist, entomologist. Born in Montegiorgio, he was self-taught. He lived and worked at Livorno where he led an apothecary next to the port ...
, is the main in Tuscany. It is situated by '' Terrazza Mascagni'' on the seafront promenade. It was built on a project by Enrico Salvais and Luigi Pastore as a heliotherapy centre and was opened to the public on 20 June 1937. Destroyed during World War II was rebuilt in 1950; in 1999 underwent extensive reconstruction, on a plan by Studio Gregotti and works carried out by Opera Laboratori Fiorentini, was opened definitely on 31 July 2010. On the ground floor, the exhibition includes: Diacinto Cestoni Room which consists of 12 exhibition tanks, Mediterranean Area, Indus-Pacific tank, Caribbean Sea, Ligurian coast, Tropical waters, Greek-Roman archaeological coastal area. Livorno Aquarium has 33 exhibition tanks containing 2000 animals of 300 different species.


''Museo Civico "Giovanni Fattori"''

Dedicated to painter
Giovanni Fattori Giovanni Fattori (September 6, 1825August 30, 1908) was an Italian artist, one of the leaders of the group known as the Macchiaioli. He was initially a painter of historical themes and military subjects. In his middle years, inspired by the Barbi ...
, the museum was inaugurated in 1994 and is placed inside ''Villa Mimbelli'', an 18th-century construction surrounded by a vast park. The origin of the museum dates back to 1877 when the
Comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
of Livorno founded a Civic Gallery where to collect all the artistic objects kept in several places around the town; in the same period was written the guideline of the gallery which hosted a collection of paintings of authors by Livorno. The ground and first floors of the museum are adorned with decorations, furnishings and draperies of the 18th century style with frescoes by Annibale Gatti. In these two floors are shown works by
Enrico Pollastrini Enrico Pollastrini (15 June 1817, Livorno – 19 January 1876, Florence) was an Italian history painter and art school director. Life and work He began his training as an assistant in the workshop of a local artist named Vincenzo De Bonis. In 1 ...
, Guglielmo Micheli,
Ulvi Liegi Ulvi Liegi (born Luigi Mosè Levi; 1858–1939) was an Italian painter and printmaker. Part of the Post-macchiaioli movement, he painted various cityscapes of Livorno and depictions of Livornese daily life. Biography Luigi Levi, who signed h ...
, Oscar Ghiglia, Giovanni Bartolena, Leonetto Campiello and Mario Puccini. The main exhibition of the museum is at the second floor, where are displayed the paintings by
Giovanni Fattori Giovanni Fattori (September 6, 1825August 30, 1908) was an Italian artist, one of the leaders of the group known as the Macchiaioli. He was initially a painter of historical themes and military subjects. In his middle years, inspired by the Barbi ...
and other
macchiaioli The Macchiaioli () were a group of Italian painters active in Tuscany in the second half of the nineteenth century. They strayed from antiquated conventions taught by the Italian art academies, and did much of their painting outdoors in order to ...
as
Silvestro Lega Silvestro Lega (8 December 1826 – 21 September 1895) was an Italian Realism (art), realist painter. He was one of the leading artists of the Macchiaioli and was also involved with the Mazzini movement. Biography He was born in Modigliana, nea ...
,
Telemaco Signorini Telemaco Signorini (; August 18, 1835 – February 10, 1901) was an Italian artist who belonged to the group known as the Macchiaioli. Biography He was born in the Santa Croce quarter of Florence, and showed an early inclination toward the st ...
,
Vincenzo Cabianca Vincenzo Cabianca (June 21, 1827, Verona – March 21, 1902, Rome) was an Italian painter of the Macchiaioli group. Biography He was born in Verona in modest circumstances. He began his artistic training at the Verona Academy under Giovanni Cali ...
,
Giovanni Boldini Giovanni Boldini (31 December 1842 – 11 January 1931) was an Italian genre and portrait painter who lived and worked in Paris for most of his career. According to a 1933 article in ''Time'' magazine, he was known as the "Master of Swish" becaus ...
, Adolfo Tommasi, Angiolo Tommasi and
Ludovico Tommasi Ludovico Tommasi (1866 in Livorno – 1941 in Florence) was an Italian painter. Biography Inspired by the example of his elder brother Angiolo and his cousin Adolfo, Ludovico Tommasi devoted himself to painting, developing his art in close cont ...
. In the other halls are the post-macchiaioli as
Eugenio Cecconi Eugenio Cecconi (September 8, 1842 – December 19, 1903) was an Italian painter. He is most noted for his paintings of hunting scenes and the Italian countryside, however his work also includes many representations of Oriental themes. Early lif ...
,
Vittorio Matteo Corcos Vittorio Matteo Corcos (4 October 1859 – 8 November 1933) was an Italian painter, known for his portraits. Many of his genre works depict winsome and finely dressed young men and women, in moments of repose and recreation. Biography He was bo ...
and
divisionism Divisionism, also called chromoluminarism, was the characteristic style in Neo-Impressionist painting defined by the separation of colors into individual dots or patches which interacted optically..Homer, William I. ''Seurat and the Science of P ...
as Benvenuto Benvenuti and
Plinio Nomellini Plinio Nomellini (1866–1943) was an Italian painter. Biography Nomellini was born in Livorno in 1866. In 1885 he enrolled at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied under Giovanni Fattori and formed friendships with Telemaco Sign ...
. Giovanni Fattori was the main representative artist of the macchiaioli, some of his paintings exhibited are: ''Carica di Cavalleria a Montebello'' (1862), ''La Signora Martelli a Castiglioncello'' (1867), ''Assalto alla Madonna della Scoperta'' (1868), ''Giornata grigia'' (1893), ''Mandrie maremmane'' (1893), ''Lungomare ad Antignano'' (1894), ''Ritratto della terza moglie'' (1905).


''Museo Ebraico "Yeshivà Marini"''

The Yeshivà Marini Museum is housed in a neoclassical building already place of worship as Marini Oratory since 1867; once was home of the Confraternity Malbish Arumin which was provided to help the city's poor. In the post-war period was utilized as a synagogue in the waiting for the construction of the new one. The museum has a collection of liturgical objects coming from the old Synagogue destroyed in World War II. The commerce practised by the Jews community increased the property of the synagogue allowing a varied religious heritage of Dutch, Florentine, Venetian, Roman and Northern African origin. The display regard the
Torah ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron ha- ...
, the
sefer Torah A ( he, סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה; "Book of Torah"; plural: ) or Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, meaning the five books of Moses (the first books of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Tora ...
, paintings, religious objects as the Oriental-style wooden ''hekhal''; the oldest and most important pieces went lost.


''Museo di storia naturale del Mediterraneo''

The origins of the museum date back to 1929 and part of the objects went destroyed by World War II. After the war, the museum was reopened inside the Livorno Aquarium and only in 1980 was transferred to Villa Henderson. The museum is divided in several halls regarding the Man, the Man in the Mediterranean context, the Invertebrates, the Sea, the Flight in Nature. Inside the museum is a Planetarium and an Auditorium.


''Museo Mascagnano''

The ''Museo Mascagnano'' houses memorabilia, documents and operas by the great
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...
Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece ''Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ' ...
, who lived here. Every year some of his operas are traditionally played during the lyric music season, which is organized by the Goldoni Theatre. Also the '' Terrazza Mascagni'' is situated on the boulevard on the seafront, is named in his honour.


''Orto Botanico del Mediterraneo''

The '' Orto Botanico del Mediterraneo'' is a
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
located on the grounds of the '' Museo di storia naturale del Mediterraneo''.


Points of interest


Civil architecture


''Venezia Nuova''

Ferdinando II de' Medici Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was Grand Duchy of Tuscany, grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II de' Medici and Archduchess Maria Madd ...
considered, in 1629, the opportunity to enlarge the town, on project by Giovanni Battista Santi, toward north in an area included among '' Fortezza Vecchia'' and '' Fortezza Nuova'', in order to give an adequate space to the maritime and commercial activities. There was the need to build a mercantile district, close to '' Porto Mediceo'', provided with houses and depots to store the merchandise and a system of canals to facilitate their transport. The new ''
rione A (; plural: ) is a neighbourhood in several Italian cities. A is a territorial subdivision. The larger administrative subdivisions in Rome are the , with the being used only in the historic centre. The word derives from the Latin , the 14 su ...
'' (district), called ', was built in an area gained to the sea, intersected by canals and linked to the town with bridges, for this reason, Venetians skilled workers were recruited. The ''Chiesa di Sant'Anna'', dedicated to
Saint Anne According to Christian apocryphal and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the canonical gospels. In writing, Anne's name and that of her husband Joachim come o ...
, was built in 1631 on the ground of the Arch confraternity of the Company of the Nativity; in the same year Giovanni Battista Santi died and the control of the project passed to Giovanni Francesco Cantagallina though the works slowed down due to the lack of funds. A new impulse to the works was given in 1656 concerning the distribution of the spaces where to build other houses and stores; consequently arose the problem of the diverse oriented road scheme with respect to the axis of ''Piazza d’Arme'', it was resolved by adopting a road plan perpendicular to the
Navicelli channel The Navicelli Channel is a channel built between 1563 and 1575 to connect Pisa with the port of Livorno. The name originates from the so-called '' navicelli'', small sized Tuscan boats that transported goods on the channel across the Pisan pla ...
. The paving of the roads and along the canals in ''Venezia Nuova'' was provided in 1668, while the ''Pescheria Nuova'' (New fish market) was built in 1705 close to the ''Scali del Pesce'' where the fish was unloaded. In the 1700s ''Venezia Nuova'' was the district of the Consuls of the Nations and of the most important international retailers who had the warehouses filled with goods from everywhere waiting to be shipped by sea to the most different destinations. The palaces along the canals had the turrets from which to see the ships approaching the port, moreover, they had the stores at the canal level to facilitate the unloading of the goods from the boats. The ''Venezia Nuova'' district retains much of its original town planning and architectural features such as the bridges, narrow
lane In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
s, the houses of the
nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...
, churches as Santa Caterina da Siena and San Ferdinando, and a dense network of canals that once served to link its warehouses to the port.


''Monumento dei quattro mori''

The Monument of the Four Moors is dedicated to
Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I. Early life Ferdinando was the fifth son (the third surviving at t ...
, and is one of the most popular monuments of Livorno. Ferdinando I commissioned it to Giovanni Bandini in 1595 to carry out a monument in white
Carrara marble Carrara marble, Luna marble to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara in the province of Massa ...
to represent him in the uniform of the Grand master of the
Order of Saint Stephen The Order of Saint Stephen (Official: Sacro Militare Ordine di Santo Stefano Papa e Martire, "Holy Military Order of St. Stephen Pope and Martyr") is a Roman Catholic Tuscan dynastic military order founded in 1561. The order was created by C ...
which in that period prevailed in several naval battles against the
Barbary pirates The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli. This area was known i ...
. The monument was completed in 1599, shortly before the death of Bandini which occurred on 18 April, and arrived to Livorno by sea from
Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, west-northwest o ...
in 1601. Ferdinando I projected to add four statues of moors prisoners at the pedestal of his monument and gave the task to
Pietro Tacca Pietro Tacca (16 September 1577 – 26 October 1640) was an Italian sculptor, who was the chief pupil and follower of Giambologna. Tacca began in a Mannerist style and worked in the Baroque style during his maturity. Biography Born in Ca ...
in 1602 but the monument remained in a corner of the square till 29 May 1617 when it was inaugurated by
Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until his death. He was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine. For the majority of his twelve-ye ...
. In the meantime Tacca received the approval to add the four moors to the pedestal; the first two statues were fused in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
in 1622 and carried on the barges along the
Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...
to Livorno; according to the tradition the young moor was named Morgiano and the older Alì Salentino; the other two sculptures were installed in 1626. During the French occupation of Livorno, from 1796 to 1799, the monument was removed from Sextius Mollis commander of the French garrison because it represented an insult to the
tyranny A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to rep ...
, as soon as the French left the town the monument was put back in its former place. During World War II the monument was transferred to a protected place in order to avoid being damaged by allied attacks, the statue of Ferdinando I was hidden in the
Pisa Charterhouse Pisa Charterhouse (Calci Charterhouse) is a former Carthusian monastery, and is the home of the Pisa Museum of Natural History. It is 10 km outside Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. The monastery is noted for the fresco of the ''Last Supper'', by Berna ...
and the four moors in the Medici Villa at Poggio a Caiano. The monument has been restored recently in 1990 and 2013.


''Acquedotto Leopoldino''

The '' Acquedotto Leopoldino'' and the neoclassical cisterns of Livorno were part of a sophisticated scheme to provide water to Livorno.


''La Gran Conserva''

'' La Gran Conserva'', or ''Il Cisternone'', situated on what were the outskirts of 19th-century Livorno, is the largest and best known of the city's covered cisterns.


''Cisternino di città''

''
Cisternino di città The Cisternoni of Livorno are a series of three large buildings in the neoclassical style at Livorno, in Tuscany, Italy. They were constructed between 1829 and 1848 as part of a complex of purification plants and storage tanks to the Leopold ...
'' is an austere neoclassical design which was approved in 1837 and completed in 1848.


''Piazza della Repubblica''

At the beginning of the 19th century arose the need to connect the Medicean road system of the '' Pentagono del Buontalenti'' to the new eastern districts of the town, on the other side of the ''Fosso Reale'', and the requirement to dismantle the city gate ''Porta a Pisa''. The solution adopted in 1844 was that of Luigi Bettarini which considered the coverage of the ''Fosso Reale'' with an imposing
vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...
, 240 meters long and 90 meters wide, creating an elliptical paving. The portion of the canal covered by the new structure continued to be navigable. The new square was commonly called ''Piazza del Voltone'' until 1850, then ''Piazza dei Granduchi'' in honour of the Lorraine dynasty until 1859, in the period of the
Italian unification The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
was named to ''
Carlo Alberto Charles Albert (; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849) was the King of Sardinia from 27 April 1831 until 23 March 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the Statuto Albertino, Albertine Statute, and with the First Italian ...
'' until June 1946 when was given the current name ''Piazza della
Repubblica Repubblica ( Republic in Italian) may refer to: *''La Repubblica'', an Italian newspaper *Repubblica (Milan Metro), a rail station in Milan, Italy *Milano Repubblica railway station, a station on the Milan Passante railway *Repubblica (fictional co ...
''. The square, adorned with 52 marble benches, 92 pillars and two statues dedicated to Ferdinand III by Francesco Pozzi were inaugurated on 8 September 1847 and that dedicated to Leopold II by Paolo Emilio Demi was installed on 6 June 1848. The statue of Leopoldo II was damaged by the crowd on 6 May 1849 and removed from the square because the Emperor was seen as the symbol of the Austrian domination; the statue was placed in ''Piazza XX Settembre'' in 1957.


''Terrazza Mascagni''

The ''Terrazza Mascagni'' is a wide sinuous belvedere toward the sea with views to the Livorno hills, the Tuscan Archipelago to
Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
, and the
Port of Livorno The Port of Livorno is one of the largest Italian seaports and one of the largest seaports in the Mediterranean Sea, with an annual traffic capacity of around 30 million tonnes of cargo and 700,000 TEU's. The port is also an important employer ...
. It is located on the site of the ''Forte dei Cavalleggieri'' (Cavalrymen Fort) built in the 17th century by
Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...
to deter pirate raids, subsequently replaced by a leisure park in the 1800s, and a heliotherapy centre in the early 1900s. A new
parterre A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the part of ...
, built between 1925 and 1928 by Enrico Salvais and Luigi Pastore, was formed by a series of flower beds and a walkway which follow the outline of the sea with numerous balustrades named after
Costanzo Ciano Costanzo Ciano, 1st Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari (; 30 August 1876 – 26 June 1939) was an Italian naval officer and politician. He was the father of Galeazzo Ciano. Biography Early life Born at Livorno the son of Raimondo Ciano and wife A ...
. The ''Terrazza'' has a paved surface of 8,700 square meters formed by 34,800 black and white tiles placed as a
checkerboard A checkerboard (American English) or chequerboard (British English; see spelling differences) is a board of checkered pattern on which checkers (also known as English draughts) is played. Most commonly, it consists of 64 squares (8×8) of altern ...
and 4,100
baluster A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its cons ...
s. In 1932, a
gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands. Etymology The etymology given by Oxford Dictionaries (website), Oxford D ...
for musical performances was built in the large square; it was destroyed during World War II. In 1937 the Livorno Aquarium was constructed. After the war, the ''Terrazza'' was dedicated to
Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece ''Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ' ...
and in 1994 it underwent a complete restoration using the same kind of materials originally employed; the works were completed on 10 July 1998 with the reconstruction of the gazebo.


''Palazzo Comunale''

Livorno was elevated to the status of
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
on 19 March 1606 by
Ferdinando I de' Medici Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I. Early life Ferdinando was the fifth son (the third surviving at t ...
, the first
Gonfaloniere The Gonfalonier (in Italian: ''Gonfaloniere'') was the holder of a highly prestigious communal office in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States. The name derives from ''gonfalone'' (in English, gonfalon), the ter ...
Bernardetto Borromei and the Community representatives held their meetings in the Church of Saint Mary and Saint Julia. On 13 June 1646 a building, placed in ''Via del Porticciolo'', was purchased for the sum of seven thousand
ducat The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wi ...
s, in order to accommodate the Community. It was evident that it was inadequate to the task and the Council deliberated, on 27 January 1720, the construction of the new town hall on the project by Giovanni del Fantasia. The new neo-renaissance palace, positioned between ''Palazzo della Dogana'' and ''Palazzo Granducale'' on the north side of ''Piazza d’Arme'', was partially destroyed by the 1742 earthquake. Restored in 1745 by Bernardino Ciurini and Antonio Fabbri a double white marble stairway and a small bell tower on the top of the façade were added. In 1867 the complex was enlarged with the acquisition of three other buildings in the back. With the settlement of the
Podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
in the
fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
period was carried out a new enlargement in 1929 by Enrico Salvais and Luigi Pastore transforming the adjacent former fire station in the council hall. Damaged by the bombing during World War II it was rebuilt and renovated under the direction of Primavera and was inaugurated in 1949 by the mayor Furio Diaz.


Religious architecture


Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi

The cathedral of the town, commonly called Duomo di Livorno, is dedicated to
Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
,
Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
, and
Julia of Corsica Saint Julia of Corsica ( it, Santa Giulia da Corsica; french: Sainte Julie; co, Santa Ghjulia; la, Sancta Iulia), also known as Saint Julia of Carthage, and more rarely Saint Julia of Nonza, was a virgin martyr who is venerated as a Christian ...
, and was built in a central position of the Pentagono del Buontalenti on the south side of Piazza Grande once named Piazza d’Arme. The original plan was drawn up by
Bernardo Buontalenti Bernardo Buontalenti (), byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole ( 1531 – June 1608), was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist and inventor of italian ice cream. Biography Buontalenti was born in ...
when he projected the new town. The construction began in June 1581 on a reviewed plan by
Alessandro Pieroni Alessandro Pieroni (18 April 1550 in Impruneta – 24 July 1607 in Livorno) was an Italian architect and painter. He was active mainly in a Mannerist style, working for the courts of Grandukes Francesco I and Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke ...
under the direction of Antonio Cantagallina. The church had a rectangular plant with a single nave, the original wooden ceiling, executed from 1610 to 1614, was carved by Vincenzo Ricordati and gilded with seven inserted paintings. Jacopo Ligozzi, Domenico Cresti and Jacopo Chimenti decorated, from 1610 to 1614, three large paintings representing "Saint Francis with Child and the Virgin", the "Assumption of Mary" and the "Apotheosis of Saint Julia", the other four paintings were works by minor artists.Livornoyoung
/ref> The simply façade had a marble porch with twin Doric columns surmounted by a terrace added in 1605 on a project by Alessandro Pieroni. The church was consecrated on 19 February 1606 by
Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
Nunzio Antonio Grimani; on request by
Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. He was remembered by his contemporaries as a man of culture and ...
, in 1629, was elevated to
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a ...
and the ''Curato'' was substituted from a ''Proposto'' having the functions of the Vicar of the
archbishop of Pisa The Archdiocese of Pisa ( la, Archidioecesis Pisana) is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Pisa, Italy.717,_Pisan.html" ;"title="708, Pisan); on 30–31 July 1716 708,_Pisan);_on_30–31_July_1716_[1717,_Pisan_and_on_31_J_...
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. The plant of the church was modified in Christian cross
when in 1716 was added the first of two lateral chapels. The left side chapel, dedicated to the Eucharist, was built on a project by Giovanni del Fantasia with frescoes by Giovanni Maria Terreni and the altar attributed to Giovanni Baratta, The right side chapel, dedicated to
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
, was built in 1727 and was decorated with paintings by Luigi Ademollo. The Collegiata in 1806 was elevated to
cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
and in 1817 was added the bell tower 50 meters high on project by Gaspero Pampaloni. The cathedral was completely destroyed in 1943 from the Allied bombardment during World War II; it was then rebuilt respecting the original structure except for the two marble porches added to the
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
s and was consecrated on 21 December 1952 by Bishop Giovanni Piccioni. Since 2006, on the occasion of the bicentennial of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Livorno The Italian Catholic Diocese of Livorno ( la, Dioecesis Liburnensis) in Tuscany, was created in 1806. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Pisa.
, the "Christ Crowned with Thorns", by
Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...
, was displayed in the Chapel of the Eucharist.


Church of the Madonna

The Church of the Madonna is placed on the homonymous street which connects directly the city centre with the district '' Venezia Nuova'' through the
John of Nepomuk John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) ( cs, Jan Nepomucký; german: Johannes Nepomuk; la, Ioannes Nepomucenus) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393) was the saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus IV ...
bridge. According to the tradition the church was built to host the statute of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...
subtracted from a Turkish ship. The church was important as it was a place of worship for foreigners communities.
Ferdinando I de' Medici Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I. Early life Ferdinando was the fifth son (the third surviving at t ...
gave the church to the
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
which had the nearby Oratory of Saints Cosmas and Damian. The construction began on 25 March 1607 on a project by
Alessandro Pieroni Alessandro Pieroni (18 April 1550 in Impruneta – 24 July 1607 in Livorno) was an Italian architect and painter. He was active mainly in a Mannerist style, working for the courts of Grandukes Francesco I and Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke ...
and was completed in 1611; the church at first was dedicated to
Saint Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, Saint Francis and
Saints Cosmas and Damian Cosmas and Damian ( ar, قُزما ودميان, translit=Qozma wa Demyaan; grc-gre, Κοσμᾶς καὶ Δαμιανός, translit=Kosmás kai Damianós; la, Cosmas et Damianus; AD) were two Arab physicians in the town Cyrrhus, and were r ...
but in 1638 was dedicated to the
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
following enlargement of the building. The church has a rectangular plant with a single nave and
groin vault A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. Honour, H. and J. Fleming, (2009) ''A World History of Art''. 7th edn. London: L ...
, on each side, there are the three altars of the foreign Nations. The altar of the French Nation was built in 1613 and the painting, by Matteo Rosselli, represents Saint Louis. The altar of the Corsica Nation, which at the time was under the
Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...
, has a painting representing
John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given t ...
. The altar of the Portuguese Nation built in the 17th century had a wooden statue of Saint Mary until 1728 when this was positioned near the main altar and replaced by one of Anthony of Padua. The altar of the Dutch-German Nation is dedicated to Andrew the Apostle. Outside the body of the building, separated by a railing, is a Chapel dedicate to the ''Sanctuary of Montenero, Madonna di Montenero'' built in 1631. The simple façade was covered in white marble in 1972.


Church of the Most Holy Annunciation

The Church of the Annunciation, Most Holy Annunciation is located in the central street of ''Via della Madonna'', not far from the #Armenian community, Armenian community Church of
Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( Classical hy, Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ, reformed: Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, ''Grigor Lusavorich'';, ''Gregorios Phoster'' or , ''Gregorios Photistes''; la, Gregorius Armeniae Illuminator, cu, Svyas ...
and the #Church of the Madonna, Church of the Madonna. The church is called Unite Greeks too because was the worship place for the #Greek community, Greek community of Byzantine Rite who once lived in Livorno. At the end of the 16th century, numerous Greeks came to Tuscany to take service aboard the galleys of the
Order of Saint Stephen The Order of Saint Stephen (Official: Sacro Militare Ordine di Santo Stefano Papa e Martire, "Holy Military Order of St. Stephen Pope and Martyr") is a Roman Catholic Tuscan dynastic military order founded in 1561. The order was created by C ...
. The church was built in 1601 on a project by
Alessandro Pieroni Alessandro Pieroni (18 April 1550 in Impruneta – 24 July 1607 in Livorno) was an Italian architect and painter. He was active mainly in a Mannerist style, working for the courts of Grandukes Francesco I and Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke ...
, was completed in 1605 and consecrated on 25 March 1606. The baroque façade was built in 1708 presumably on a project by Giovanni Baratta with a triangular pediment and Doric order and was decorated by the statues of Meekness and Innocence by Andrea Vaccà. The interior has a single nave and the ceiling is adorned by a coffer structure with a central painting representing the Annunciation by Giovanni Domenico Ferretti (1750). The precious wooden Iconostasis in Byzantine style date back to 1641 and has three doors painted by Agostino Wanonbrachen in 1751; on the central door is represented the Most Holy Annunciation and Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, John Chrysostom and Athanasius of Alexandria; in the right door is painted the Nativity of Jesus and the four Apostles, in the left door is represented the Adoration of the Shepherds. The church was entirely destroyed by the bombings during World War II and the restoration was completed in 1985.


Church of Saint Caterina

The Santa Caterina da Siena, Livorno, Church of Saint Caterina is a baroque church in the centre of Livorno, in ''Venezia Nuova'' district.


Church of Saint Ferdinand

San Ferdinando is a Baroque style, Roman Catholic church located in ''Venezia Nuova'' district next to the Piazza del Luogo Pio.


Church of Saint John the Baptist

''San Giovanni Battista, Livorno, San Giovanni Battista'' is a Baroque architecture, Baroque-Mannerism, Mannerist style, Roman Catholic church located at the crossing of ''Via San Giovanni'' and ''Via Carraia'' in central Livorno.


Church of Our Lady of the Rescue

''Santa Maria del Soccorso, Livorno, Santa Maria del Soccorso'' is a Neoclassicism, Neoclassical-style Marian votive church in central Livorno. The tall brick church façade is located scenically at the end of ''Via Magenta'', and has a park surrounding it. In front is a Monument to Fallen Soldiers (''caduti'') in the first World War.


Old English Cemetery

The Old English Cemetery, Livorno, Old English Cemetery is the oldest foreign Protestant burial ground in Italy. It was founded around 1645 and contains over 300 Carrara marble graves of notable people from 10 different nationalities. Tobias Smollett and Francis Horner were buried here, but also some of the friends of George Gordon Byron, Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, Shelley and the husband of Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Elizabeth Seton. The cemetery was closed in 1839 and a new one, still active, was opened.


Sanctuary of Montenero

Up in the hills, the Sanctuary of Montenero, dedicated to Our Lady of Graces, the patron saint of Tuscany, is a destination for pilgrims. It is famous for the adjacent gallery, decorated with ex-voto, chiefly related to events of miraculous rescues of people at sea.


Temple of the Dutch German Congregation

The Temple of the Dutch German Congregation, known more simply as the Dutch-German Church, is situated in Livorno, on the stretch of the ''Fosso Reale'' canal that runs between ''Piazza della Repubblica'' and ''Piazza Cavour''.


The Synagogue

The
Synagogue of Livorno The Synagogue of Livorno is a historic synagogue in Livorno, Italy. ''Tempio Maggiore'' (1603) The first Synagogue of Livorno, called ''Tempio Maggiore'', dates back to 1603. The synagogue was built in a modest and simple style by Claudio Cog ...
is the main Judaism, Jewish place of worship in Livorno located in ''Piazza Elijah Benamozegh''.


Military architecture


''Fortezza Vecchia''

The origin of '' Fortezza Vecchia'' takes place not far from what once was ''Porto Pisano'' (Pisan Port) where a square tower was built in 1077, on request of
Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as th ...
, on the remains of a Roman tower; in 1241 the Pisans built a massive cylindrical tower, 30 meters high erroneously called ''Keep, Mastio di Matilde'' (Matilda keep). Pisa realized the strategic importance of the castle of Livorno which owned since 1103 and in 1377 the Doge ''Gambacorti'' of the
Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa ( it, Repubblica di Pisa) was an independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa, which existed from the 11th to the 15th century. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated ...
built a quadrangular Fort called ''Quadratura dei Pisani'' (Quartered of the Pisans) on plans attributed to ''Puccio di Landuccio'' and ''Francesco di Giovanni Giordani''. In 1392 this fort was connected to a wall in order to defend better the town and the ''Dock (maritime), Darsena''. Livorno, in 1405, was sold to Genoa which reinforced the defences, building three forts under the Quartered, afterwards Livorno was bought from
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
on 28 August 1421 at the price of 100.000 Tuscan florin. The project to build ''Fortezza Vecchia'' was commissioned to Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1506, the fortress had to incorporate the existing Pisan and Genovese constructions. The works started in 1518 on the order of Pope Clement VII, Cardinal Giulio De' Medici under the supervision of ''Nicolao da Pietrasanta''. The construction was suspended since the popular revolt forced the House of Medici#16th century, Medici in exile and was resumed in 1530 on their return. ''Fortezza Vecchia'' is a massive fortification completed on 1 April 1534 under ''Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence, Alessandro de' Medici''; it was built in red-brick with sloping walls and the interposition of clear stones, it has a quadrangular plant with a perimeter of 1500 meters and was equipped with 24 cannons to protect each side. One of the corners directs inside to join the Quartered of the Pisans and Matilda and Genoa keep; the three others are protected by triangular bastions with rounded tips. The bastion towards the north is called ''Capitana'' because there moored the main Galley, to the east is ''Ampolletta'' since housed the sand-glass used to control the guard duty, to the west is the ''Canaviglia'' derived from ''Cavaniglia'' the name of the commander of the galleys of the Grand Ducky of Tuscany. The land on the side toward the town was excavated in order to have the fortress surrounded by the sea for better defence. ''
Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...
'' built in 1544 an imposing palace, overlooking the ''Port of Livorno#Vecchia Darsena, Vecchia Darsena'', above the Quartered of the Pisans which went destroyed during World War II. The successor Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de' Medici built a small palace toward the sea, later became '' Porto Mediceo'', on the top of Canaviglia bastion situated at the entrance of ''Vecchia Darsena''. On the opposite side was built a church dedicated to Saint Francis where on 19 March 1606 ''
Ferdinando I de' Medici Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I. Early life Ferdinando was the fifth son (the third surviving at t ...
'' elevated Livorno to the status of
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
. ''Fortezza Vecchia'' changed its function to the coming of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany#House of Habsburg-Lorraine, House of Habsburg-Lorraine in 1737, by a defensive structure to a military college for officers of the Army of the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...
(1769) and afterwards in garrison (1795).


''Fortezza Nuova''

The origin of ''Fortezza Nuova'' (New fortress) take place at the end of the 1500s, by the adjustment of ''Baluardo Francis of Assisi, San Francesco'' (Saint Francis rampart) and ''Baluardo Saint Barbara, Santa Barbara'' (Saint Barbara rampant) of the project commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I to
Bernardo Buontalenti Bernardo Buontalenti (), byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole ( 1531 – June 1608), was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist and inventor of italian ice cream. Biography Buontalenti was born in ...
with the intention to develop a new urban plan of the town that led to a pentagonal shape surrounded by canals. The original project was then modified by Don Giovanni de' Medici, Claudio Cogorano and
Alessandro Pieroni Alessandro Pieroni (18 April 1550 in Impruneta – 24 July 1607 in Livorno) was an Italian architect and painter. He was active mainly in a Mannerist style, working for the courts of Grandukes Francesco I and Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke ...
to allow the construction of ''Fortezza Nuova'' in order to strengthen the military apparatus of the town. The works started on 10 January 1590 and ended in 1604, the result is a considerable fortification, in stones and red bricks, with a polygonal plant surrounded by water; the new modification brought to the construction of ''Forte San Pietro'' (Saint Peter fort) to defend the ''Venezia Nuova'' quarter. In 1629 part of the fortress was demolished to permit the building of ''Venezia Nuova'' and ''San Marco'' quarters wanted by Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando II. ''Fortezza Nuova'' has been used for military purpose until the end of World War II, inside were built barracks and warehouses and a chapel dedicated to
Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
. The fortress was heavily damaged during World War II with the destruction of most parts of the buildings, the restoration was completed in 1972 and the superior part is used at present as a public park and centre for events and displays.


''Pentagono del Buontalenti''

Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de' Medici gave to
Bernardo Buontalenti Bernardo Buontalenti (), byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole ( 1531 – June 1608), was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist and inventor of italian ice cream. Biography Buontalenti was born in ...
in 1575 the task to project the
ideal town An ideal city is the concept of a plan for a city that has been conceived in accordance with a particular rational or moral objective. Concept The "ideal" nature of such a city may encompass the moral, spiritual and juridical qualities of cit ...
in order to transform Livorno from a fishing village in a fortified town to accommodate 12,000 inhabitants, to include the original settlement and the ''Fortezza Vecchia'', capable to become the trade centre of the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...
. The development of the project led to a pentagonal plant as in use in the Renaissance period, each side 600 meters long, with defensive walls, rampant and five bastions at the vertices, surrounded by canals; the fifth bastion coincided with '' Fortezza Vecchia''. The plan gave no information regarding the function of the new urban area, indicating only a series of building blocks within a road system absolutely orthogonal, cardo and Decumanus Maximus. The road axis from north to south (cardo) underline the direction that united the centre of the town with a significant place as the Sanctuary of Montenero; the axis from west to east (decumanus) linked the ''Baluardo Santa Giulia'' to ''Baluardo Sant’Andrea''. In August 1576 was created the Office of the ''Fabbrica di Livorno'' with the task of supervising the construction and Alessandro Puccini was the chief superintendent. Francesco I de' Medici laid the first stone for the construction of the ''Baluardo di San Francesco'' (Saint Francis rampant) of the new town on 28 March 1577; the works went on with several changes compared with the original plan including the construction of the '' Fortezza Nuova''. Livorno became a town, encircled by the navigable ''Canal, Fosso Reale'' (Royal canal), with numerous palaces, warehouse, garrisons and custom-houses. The central street at that time was ''Via Ferdinanda'' extended for 750 meters, later called ''Via Grande'', from ''City gate, Porta Colonnella'' (Colonella city gate), in the proximity of ''Port of Livorno#Vecchia Darsena, Vecchia Darsena'', to ''Porta Pisana'' (Pisan city gate). The ''Baluardo Sant’Andrea'' was initiated in 1578 while the ''Baluardo Santa Giulia'' started in 1582. In 1594 it was decided to create a huge square, at halfway of ''Via Ferdinanda'', where to build the church of the new town. The church, which was built in a central position on the south side of ''Piazza d’Arme'', later ''Piazza Grande'', was completed in 1602 under the direction of Antonio Cantagaliina and
Alessandro Pieroni Alessandro Pieroni (18 April 1550 in Impruneta – 24 July 1607 in Livorno) was an Italian architect and painter. He was active mainly in a Mannerist style, working for the courts of Grandukes Francesco I and Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke ...
. ''Piazza d’Arme'' was completed and enlarged with the old ''Porticciolo dei Genovesi'' (Port of Genovesi) filled up with earth to make room to the building called ''Tre Palazzi'' (Three palaces); the square was adorned with a series of marble arcades attributed to Alessandro Pieroni. The ''Palazzo del Picket (military), Picchetto'' was built, on plan by
Giovanni Battista Foggini Giovanni Battista (Giambattista) Foggini (25 April 1652 – 12 April 1725) was an Italian sculptor active in Florence, renowned mainly for small bronze statuary. Biography Born in Florence, the young Foggini was sent to Rome by the Medici Gran ...
and Giovanni del Fantasia in 1707, at the end of ''Via Ferdinanda'' in the proximity of ''Porta Pisana''.


''Accademia Navale''

The Italian Naval Academy is a mixed-sex education, mixed-sex military university in Livorno, which is responsible for the technical training of military officers of the Italian Navy.


Main sight

* #Acquario comunale Diacinto Cestoni, Acquario comunale Diacinto Cestoni * #Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi, Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi * Cisternone * Livorno Lighthouse (Fanale dei Pisani), Fanale dei Pisani * Fortezza Vecchia * Fortezza Nuova * Fosso Reale * Museo di storia naturale del Mediterraneo * #Museo Civico "Giovanni Fattori", Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori * Old English Cemetery, Livorno, Old English Cemetery * Orto Botanico del Mediterraneo * Porto Mediceo * Sanctuary of Montenero * Terrazza Mascagni * Venezia Nuova


Sport

* U.S. Livorno 1915 association football, football team currently plays in the Eccellenza Tuscany league. Its matches are played at the ''Stadio Armando Picchi''. * ''Pallacanestro Don Bosco Livorno'', founded in 1996, is an amateur basketball club, playing in the Serie C Gold as of April 2017. Livorno also has its own rugby and American football teams.


Infrastructure


Airport

The nearest airport is the main airport of Tuscany, Pisa International Airport, which is about away.


Buses

Since 1875 Livorno has ever had a Azienda Trasporti Livornese#History, public transport system managed by some companies that changed over the years. Livorno bus network, as the entire Regione Toscana, is performed by Autolinee Toscane which manages, since 1 November 2021, two High Mobility Lines (''LAM Blu'' and ''LAM Rossa''), seventeen urban lines, one school line and six suburban routes departing from Livorno across the Province of Livorno, Province. Autolinee Toscane operates a Montenero funicular, funicular which connect lower Montenero to the Sanctuary of Montenero, Sanctuary.


Port

The
Port of Livorno The Port of Livorno is one of the largest Italian seaports and one of the largest seaports in the Mediterranean Sea, with an annual traffic capacity of around 30 million tonnes of cargo and 700,000 TEU's. The port is also an important employer ...
is one of the largest seaports both in Italy and the Mediterranean Sea as a whole. The Port has regular ferry links of the following operators with the following cities: *Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries to Golfo Aranci and Bastia *Grimaldi Group, Grimaldi Lines to Barcelona and Tangier *Moby Lines to Olbia and Bastia *Toremar to Capraia


Trains

The city is served by Livorno Centrale railway station, Livorno Centrale station.


Education


Schools


'' Istituto Tecnico Industriale "Galileo Galilei"''

The Secondary education in Italy#Istituto tecnico, Industrial Technical Institute named to Galileo Galilei was founded in 1825 as a School of Arts and Crafts in order to prepare the youngs to a profession in the sector of the mechanic industry as in the decorative arts. In 1923 the Gentile Reform transformed the school in an Industrial Technical Institute for mechanics and electrical engineering, and in 1947 was added chemistry. In the following years other specialities were added as physics, electronics, biology, nuclear physics and informatics. The institute is structured with 32 laboratories, 8 special school-rooms, library, film library, gymnasiums and machine-shops.


''Istituto Nautico "Alfredo Cappellini"''

The Nautical Institute Alfredo Cappellini was formed on 13 December 1863, with a Royal Law and it was the first Technical Institute in the
Province of Livorno The province of Livorno or, traditionally, province of Leghorn ( it, provincia di Livorno) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It includes several islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, including Elba and Capraia. Its capital is the city of ...
. In 1921 it was transferred under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Navy then returned to the Ministry of Education. The school give the professional preparation to form the Merchant navy Officers.


'' Liceo Classico "Niccolini Palli"''

The ''Liceo Classico Giovanni Battista Niccolini, Niccolini'' was established on 10 March 1860 by law of Terenzio, Count Mamiani della Rovere, Terenzio Mamiani, then Ministry of the Public Instruction. The first ''Dean (education), Preside'' elected was Luigi De Steffani who remained in charge from 1862 to 1867. The Liceo was entitled to Giovanni Battista Niccolini, Ugo Foscolo's friend, in 1862; in 1883 it was named to Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi; the name came into effect in 1889 and remained until the unification of the ''Liceo'' with the ''Liceo delle scienze umane, Istituto magistrale''. The most famous professor was Giovanni Pascoli who taught Greek language, Greek and Latin from 1887 to 1895. Among the pupils were
Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece ''Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ' ...
, Guglielmo Marconi, Amedeo Modigliani, Giosuè Borsi and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who was teacher in 1945.


Library


Biblioteca Labronica

The on the Viale della Libertà was founded in 1816, by the fellows of the ''Accademia Labronica'', which was made public in 1840 and it was given to the Comune in 1854. The civic library was dedicated to Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi in 1923 and take place in ''Villa Fabbricotti''. According to the tradition, the origin of the villa date back to the Medicean period when an edifice was built as a suburban residence for Ferdinando II de' Medici. ''Villa Fabbricotti'' received the name from its last owner Bernardo Fabbricotti from
Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, west-northwest o ...
, who acquired it from the English merchant Thomas Lloyd in 1881. Fabbricotti, following to adverse economic affairs, sold the Villa and the park to the
Comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
in 1936. During World War II the building was used by the German command as headquarters, and later taken by the American forces; in the post-war period was restored in order to adapt it into library. In the warehouse of the ''Biblioteca Labronica'' are stored: 120,000 books, 1,500 manuscripts, 117 incunables, 2,000 cinquecentine (is a book printed in the 16th century) and 60,000 autographs; the library is organized with reading rooms with 80 places of capacity, 18 seats for consultation of manuscripts, 4 internet positions and a conference room with 60 seats. The library has a collection of autographs including those of Galileo Galilei and Giacomo Leopardi, manuscripts by Ugo Foscolo, and ancient books printed in Livorno since the 17th century, including the ''Encyclopédie'' printed in 1770 in Livorno by the ancient ''Bagno dei forzati'' (Gaol of the convicts).


Media

;Il Tirreno ''Il Tirreno'' is a regional newspaper, printed and published in Livorno and distributed in
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
. ''Il Tirreno'' also features sixteen local editions around the whole region. ;Il Vernacoliere ''
Il Vernacoliere ''Il Vernacoliere'' is an Italian monthly satirical magazine based in Livorno, Tuscany, Italy, founded in 1982 by editor-director Mario Cardinali. The periodical started to operate as a successor of the pre-existing ''Livornocronaca'', first issue ...
'' is a satirical monthly magazine printed in Livorno founded in 1982 and distributed in central Italy.


Notable people

* Luca Agamennoni, rower * Andrea Aghini, retired rally driver * Romano Albani, cinematographer * Massimiliano Allegri, former football player, football coach * Mario Ancona (1860–1931), Jewish opera baritone * Domenico Angelo (1716–1802), fencing master, author * Federigo Luigi Appelius (1835–1876), naturalist * Chaim Joseph David Azulai (1724–1807), prolific Rabbinic scholar * Angiolo Badaloni (1849–1920), engineer * Baldo Baldi, fencer * Andrea Baldini (born 1985), fencer, World Champion * David Balleri, footballer * Giovanni Bartolena (1866–1942), painter * Enzo Bartolini, rower * Piero Barontini (1919–2003), painter * Leonardo Bellandi (born 2000), Italian footballer * Rabbi Elijah Benamozegh (1822–1900), rabbi and scholar of Kabbalah * Malachi ben Jacob * Bino Bini * Lidia Biondi, actress * Giotto Bizzarrini * Bernardetto Borromei (?–1610), first Gonfaloniere * Ranieri de' Calzabigi * Giuseppe Cambini * Leonetto Cappiello (1875–1942), painter * Federico Caprilli (1868–1946), cavalry officer, equestrian * Giorgio Caproni (1912–1990), poet * Fortunato Cassone (1828–1889), commander of Regia Accademia Navale * David Castelli (1836–1901), Jewish Biblical scholar * Giacinto Cestoni, Diacinto Cestoni (1637–1718), naturalist * Mario Checcacci * Pierluigi Chicca * Giorgio Chiellini (born 1984), football player * Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1920–2016), former President of the Republic of Italy * Piero Ciampi (1934–1980), musician *
Costanzo Ciano Costanzo Ciano, 1st Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari (; 30 August 1876 – 26 June 1939) was an Italian naval officer and politician. He was the father of Galeazzo Ciano. Biography Early life Born at Livorno the son of Raimondo Ciano and wife A ...
* Galeazzo Ciano, Gian Galeazzo Ciano (1903–1944), Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Benito Mussolini's son-in-law * Arduíno Colassanti * Antonio Corazzi *
Vittorio Matteo Corcos Vittorio Matteo Corcos (4 October 1859 – 8 November 1933) was an Italian painter, known for his portraits. Many of his genre works depict winsome and finely dressed young men and women, in moments of repose and recreation. Biography He was bo ...
(1859–1933), painter * Moses Cordovero, leading scholar and Kabbalah, Kabbalist * Giovanni de Gamerra * Serafino De Tivoli * Pio Alberto Del Corona (1837–1912), bishop * Paolo Emilio Demi (1798–1863), sculptor * Manlio Di Rosa * Marco Di Viesti, football player * Dino Diluca * Giulio Dolci (1883–1965), literate * Federigo Enriques * Paolo Enriques (1878–1932), zoologist (genetics) *
Giovanni Fattori Giovanni Fattori (September 6, 1825August 30, 1908) was an Italian artist, one of the leaders of the group known as the Macchiaioli. He was initially a painter of historical themes and military subjects. In his middle years, inspired by the Barbi ...
(1825–1908), painter * Bruno Filippi * Giorgio Fontanelli (1925–1993), professor, poet, essayist * Voltolino Fontani (1920–1976), painter * Alberto Fremura (born 1936), artist * Angelo Froglia (1955–1997), painter and creator of the scandal of the heads of Modigliani * Vivi Gioi (1914-1975) actress * Filippo Gragnani (1768–1820), virtuoso guitarist and composer * :it:Gino Graziani, Gino Graziani (1893-1976) President of the Chamber of Commerce of Livorno during the reconstruction after the Second World War, Industrialist * Oreste Grossi * Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi (1804–1873), writer and politician * Marzio Innocenti, former captain of Italy national rugby union team * Abraham Khalfon (1741–1819), Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli Jewish community leader, historian, and scholar * Aurelio Lampredi * Dario Lari * Gio Batta Lepori (1911–2002), painter * Francis Levett, English merchant, the
Levant Company The Levant Company was an English chartered company formed in 1592. Elizabeth I of England approved its initial charter on 11 September 1592 when the Venice Company (1583) and the Turkey Company (1581) merged, because their charters had expired, ...
* Augusto Liverani (1858–1929), educator * Llewelyn Lloyd (painter), Llewelyn Lloyd (1879-1949), painter * Alessandro Lucarelli (born 1977), football player * Cristiano Lucarelli (born 1975), football player, top scorer of Serie A in 2004–05 Serie A, 2004–05 * Mario Magnozzi * Vincenzo Malenchini (1813–1881), lawyer, patriot * Giovanni Marradi (1852-1922) poet, writer, patriot and politician *
Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece ''Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ' ...
(1863–1945), opera composer * Davide Matteini * Matteo Mazzantini (born 1976), rugby player * Luca Mazzoni * Enrico Mayer (1802–1877), pedagogist, writer * Umberto Melnati * Guido Menasci * Carlo Meyer (1837–1897), engineer, patriot * Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920), Painter and sculptor, famous for the paintings of long-necked women * Aldo Montano (fencer born 1978), Aldo Montano (born 1978), fencer, Olympic gold medalist * Moses Haim Montefiore (1784–1885), Jewish financier and philanthropist in Britain * Rabbi Sabato Morais (1823–1897), rabbi in Philadelphia, USA, and founder of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City * Fabrizio Mori * Alfredo Muller (1869–1940), artist * Aldo Nadi * Nedo Nadi (1894–1940), won 5 gold medals in fencing at the 1920 Olympics * :it:Renato Natali, Renato Natali (1883-1979) Painter, heir to the Macchiaioli and Impressionists, founder of the :it:Gruppo Labronico, Grppo Labronico * Alessandro Neri (1820–1896), patriot * Adriano Novi Lena (1840–1888), lawyer, Member of Parliament * Angeliki Palli writer * Giorgio Pellini * Armando Picchi (1935–1971), football player and manager *
Enrico Pollastrini Enrico Pollastrini (15 June 1817, Livorno – 19 January 1876, Florence) was an Italian history painter and art school director. Life and work He began his training as an assistant in the workshop of a local artist named Vincenzo De Bonis. In 1 ...
* Oreste Puliti * Ottorino Quaglierini * Giulia Quintavalle * Dario Resta (1884–1924), race car driver, Indy 500 winner * Rolando Rigoli * Eugenio Sansoni (1828–1906), first mayor from 1865 to 1867 * Giovanni Schmidt * Dante Secchi * Percy Bysshe Shelley * Hezekiah da Silva * Mauro Simonetti * Mauro Sordi (1916–1989), biologist, director of Livorno Aquarium * Athos Tanzini * Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti * Giuseppe Maria Terreni (1739–1811), painter * Rabbi Elio Toaff (1915–2015), Chief rabbi of Rome * Ilaria Tocchini * Angiolo Tommasi (1858–1923), artist * Dino Urbani * Samuel Uziel (17th century), rabbi and Talmudist * Antonio Vinciguerra (born 1937), sculptor, painter, designer * Paolo Virzì (born 1964), film screenwriter and director * Filippo Volandri, tennis player


Twin towns – sister cities

Livorno is Sister city, twinned with: * Bat Yam, Israel * Guadalajara, Spain, Guadalajara, Spain * Haiphong, Vietnam * Novorossiysk, Russia * Oakland, California, Oakland, United States


Gallery

File:Livorno FossoReale.JPG, Fosso Reale File:Quartiere san Jacopo Livorno.JPG, View of the western part of Livorno File:Livorno bastioni della Fortezza Vecchia.JPG, Old Fortress File:Livorno-Fortezzanuova3.JPG, New Fortress File:Duomo Livorno.JPG, Duomo of Livorno File:Livorno Castello del Boccale.JPG, The Boccale Castle File:Livorno, Monumento dei quattro mori a Ferdinando II (1626) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 13-4-2006 01.jpg, Monumento dei Quattro Mori File:Piazza della Repubblica Livorno.JPG, Piazza della Repubblica File:Livorno, chiesa olandese nel 2008.jpg, Temple of the Dutch German Congregation File:Accademia Navale, Livorno.JPG, The Italian Naval Academy File:Livorno -Teatro Goldoni- interno.jpg, The Goldoni Theatre File:Edificio di livorno 02.JPG, Livorno's synagogue File:Livorno-Terrazza Mascagni.JPG, The Terrazza Mascagni File:Livorno Piazza Matteotti skyscraper 01 @chesi.JPG, Grattacielo File:Galliano-and-glass.jpg, Galliano liqueur from Livorno


See also

* Azienda Trasporti Livornese *
Battle of Leghorn The naval Battle of Leghorn took place on 4 March 1653 (14 March Gregorian calendar), during the First Anglo-Dutch War, near Leghorn (Livorno), Italy. It was a victory of a Dutch squadron under Commodore Johan van Galen over an English squadron ...
* History of the Jews in Livorno *
Livorno Hills The Livorno Hills (also known as Leghorn Hills, or in Italian as the Colline Livornesi) is a hill range in Tuscany, included in the municipalities of Livorno, Collesalvetti and Rosignano Marittimo, and in the Province of Livorno The province ...
*
Port of Livorno The Port of Livorno is one of the largest Italian seaports and one of the largest seaports in the Mediterranean Sea, with an annual traffic capacity of around 30 million tonnes of cargo and 700,000 TEU's. The port is also an important employer ...


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External links


Municipal website

Port of Livorno website



Ferdinando I De Medici, Document Inviting Jewish Merchants to Settle in Livorno and Pisa, in Italian, Manuscript on Vellum, Florence, Italy, 10 June 1593 (fac-simile)

Livorno Video Tour

Livorno Boat Tour along the Medicean canals
{{Authority control Livorno, Coastal towns in Tuscany Historic Jewish communities