What to see in Livorno: tips about what to see during a stay in Livorno
Boat tour of the canals
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 little Venice, a lunch with the flavour of cacciucco, all strictly Labronico.
The Old Fortress
The Fortezza Vecchia (Old Fortress) 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.
Mediterranean Natural History Museum
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 in 1952 it was reopened to the public. 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.
Livorno Aquarium
The Diacinto Cestoni Municipal Aquarium is located in Livorno, close to the picturesque seafront promenade and the Mascagni Terrace. It is the largest aquarium in Tuscany and is the only one of its kind to contain a Greco-Roman archaeological marine area with a fascinating replica of a sunken ship.
Amedeo Modigliani’s birthplace
The house where Amedeo Modigliani was born is situated at No. 38 Via Roma in Livorno, not far from the centrally-located Piazza Attias. The famous artist was born here on 12 July 1884, the fourth child of a family who were members of the city’s numerous Jewish community. It is a simple three-story 19th century building.
Mascagni Itineraries
Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni (Livorno, December 7, 1863 – Rome, August 2, 1945) was an Italian composer and conductor. Mascagni lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, occupying a prominent place in the musical scene of the time, above all because of the immediate and popular success obtained in 1890 with his first opera, Cavalleria Rusticana. Cavalleria was the first of 15 other operas for which Mascagni enjoyed worldwide popularity. However, especially nowadays, only a few of them have permanently entered the repertoire, such as Iris, which was staged no fewer than 800 times in less than 120 years of life. Mascagni also wrote an operetta, Sì, vocal and instrumental music, as well as songs, romances and piano compositions. He also composed sacred music (for example the beautiful Messa di Gloria), and was the first Italian composer to write for the silent movies (Nino Oxilia’s Satan’s Rhapsody). Finally, mention should be made of the interesting experiment “The Eternal City”, a sort of symphonic suite, based on the incidental music for the drama of the same name, in the wake of the similar works by Luigi Mancinelli (Cleopatra, Messalina).
Sanctuary of Montenero and funicular
The Shrine of Our Lady of Grace, better known as the Sanctuary of Montenero, is a religious complex on the Monte Nero hill in Livorno. The complex. elevated to the rank of basilica and maintained by Vallombrosan monks, is devoted to Our Lady of Grace of Montenero, patron saint of Tuscany. It also includes a fascinating gallery of votive offerings, and a memorial chapel, the burial place for some illustrious inhabitants of Livorno.
Livorno and the art cities
Livorno is situated in an ideal position for those wishing to visit Tuscany’s most famous art cities. A journey time of 20 minutes to an hour and a half is all it takes to reach all the places of greatest interest, such as Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Arezzo and Cinque Terre.
Synagogue and Jewish Culture
The Livorno synagogue stands in Piazza Benamozegh, not far from Piazza Grande, within Buontalenti’s original pentagonal city. It was built to a design by architect Angelo Di Castro and completed in 1962 on the site of the ancient synagogue, partially destroyed during the last world war. It is, together with Rome, Trieste and Genoa, one of only four great 20th century synagogues in Italy and the only one to be built in the period following the Second World War.