Livorno, a fascinating and characteristic city where maritime traditions merge with Mediterranean cultures. A walk along the surface of the water to meet typical characters who, amidst anecdotes and curiosities, will revive the ancient atmosphere of seafaring life. At the end of the tour, in piccola Venezia, a lunch with the flavour of cacciucco, all strictly Labronico.
The Fortezza Vecchia is a fortification that stands at the edge of Livorno’s Medici Port. It is the result of renovations and reconstructions over the centuries and encapsulates the entire history of the city, from its origins to the present day.
The Livorno Museum of Natural History of the Mediterranean was established in 1929 on the basis of the rich scientific material of the Cabinet of Natural History of the ‘Amerigo Vespucci’ Technical Institute, collected between 1871 and 1909 by illustrious naturalists from Livorno. Unfortunately, during the bombing raids of 1944, the natural heritage was destroyed. After the war, the Museum was moved to the Municipal Aquarium and reopened to the public in 1952. In 1980, the Museum finally moved to its current location in Villa Henderson, whose main building, completely renovated, houses the Institute’s operational heart. The Museum offers visitors seven exhibition routes organised over an area of approximately 7000 square metres.
The Diacinto Cestoni Municipal Aquarium is located in Livorno, on the edge of the picturesque waterfront and Terrazza Mascagni. It is the largest aquarium in Tuscany and is the only facility of its kind to have a Greco-Roman archaeological marine area with the evocative reproduction of a shipwreck.
Amedeo Modigliani’s birthplace is located in Livorno, at Via Roma 38, not far from the central Piazza Attias. Here, on 12 July 1884, the famous painter from Livorno was born, the fourth son of a family belonging to Livorno’s large Jewish community. It is a simple 19th-century building with three floors above ground.
Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni (Livorno, 7 December 1863 – Rome, 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer and conductor. Mascagni lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, occupying a prominent place in the musical panorama of the time, especially thanks to the immediate and popular success he achieved in 1890 with his first opera, Cavalleria rusticana. Cavalleria was the first of 15 other operas for which Mascagni enjoyed worldwide popularity, along with a few other composers. However, especially nowadays, only a few of them have permanently entered the repertoire, such as Iris, which reached the remarkable figure of 800 productions in less than 120 years. Mascagni also wrote an operetta, Sì, vocal and instrumental music, as well as songs, romances and piano compositions. He also composed sacred music (e.g. the beautiful Messa di Gloria), and was the first Italian composer to write for silent films (Rapsodia Satanica, by Nino Oxilia). Lastly, the interesting experiment of ‘The Eternal City’, a kind of symphonic suite based on the stage music of the play of the same name, in the wake of similar works by Luigi Mancinelli (Cleopatra, Messalina), should not be forgotten.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, better known as the Sanctuary of Montenero, stands on the hill of Monte Nero in Livorno. The complex, elevated to the rank of basilica and held by the Vallombrosian monks, is consecrated to the Madonna delle Grazie di Montenero, patron saint of Tuscany; the sanctuary also includes a rich gallery of ex-votos and is preceded by the famedio, the burial place reserved for some illustrious citizens of Livorno.
The city of Livorno is optimally located for those wishing to visit the most important art cities in Tuscany. With a journey time ranging from 20 minutes to an hour and a half, you can reach all the major places of interest such as: Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Arezzo and the 5 terre.
Livorno’s synagogue stands not far from Piazza Grande, inside Buontalenti’s pentagonal city, in the wide Piazza Benamozegh. It was built to a design by architect Angelo Di Castro and completed in 1962 on the site of the old synagogue, which was partially destroyed during the last world war. It is, with Rome, Trieste and Genoa, one of only four large 20th century synagogues in Italy and the only one to be built in the post-World War II period.
Pisa: the Leaning Tower but not only
Florence a masterpiece in every corner
Siena the city of the Palio
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Bolgheri the poet's boulevard
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Volterra: medieval frescoes and boundless views
Lucca and its Renaissance charm
Elba Island: an enchantment in the middle of the sea
Carrara the famous city of marble
