Montenero is a fraction of

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

, Tuscany, in Italy situated on the slopes of a hill and known for the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie di Montenero.

History

The area was inhabited by humans since Neolithic, as proved by the many artefacts that have been found on the slopes of the hill, (for example those found in

1855 Events January–March * January 1 – Ottawa, Ontario, is incorporated as a city. * January 5 – Ramón Castilla begins his third term as President of Peru. * January 23 ** The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens ...

near "Buca delle Fate"). In antiquity the hill, the height of which is 313 m, was known as "Monte del Diavolo" (Mountain of the Devil), it later assumed the current denomination "Montenero" or "Monte Nero" (Black Mountain) due to the a thick forest which scared the travellers. Administered directly by the "Capitanato" of Livorno in the 17th century, it was a compulsory passage for people travelling from

to the south, Grosseto and Rome, until the creation, in the end of the 19th century of the coastal road. The village saw a sensible enlargement since the 18th century, mostly due to the enlargement of the Sanctuary. In that time many villas were build in the area, also giving the setting for Carlo Goldoni's commedy Le avventure della villeggiatura. Among these residences there is Villa delle Rose, where the English poet

George Gordon Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

stayed for some time; as well as Villa del Buffone and Villa Carboni. On 19th August 1908 was inaugurated a funicular railway, linking the lower part (Montenero Basso) to the higher part (Montenero Alto), of the length of 656 m, which was renovated in

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

and carries approximately 250,000 passengers per year.

Geography

The fraction is located on the northern slopes of a hill, and is connected to the city of Livorno by Via di Montenero, which arrives in the piazza del Santuario (Square of the Sanctuary), in Montenero Alto, at a height of 190 m. The main square of Montenero Basso (70 m) is called Piazza delle Carrozze, and is the starting point of the funicular.

Places of interest

Sanctuary of Montenero The Shrine of Our Lady of Grace, also known as Sanctuary of Montenero, is a religious complex on the Monte Nero Livorno Hills, in Livorno, central Italy reachable by a funicular. The complex, elevated to the rank of Basilica and maintained by V ...

Montenero Funicular Azienda Trasporti Livornese, known as ATL, was a public company that managed the local public transport in Livorno and its province including Elba. History The decision to provide Livorno with a public transport system dates back to 1875 with a ...

* Fonte di San Fele

References

Tuscany Livorno

External links

{{Commons