Livorno

<< Tuscany

Livorno is port city located on the western coast of Tuscany. A tiny village until the Renaissance, it was ruled by Pisa, Milan, and Genoa, before being taken by Florence in 1421. During the 16th century, the city was completely rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town, and was declared a free port. Livorno was for centuries one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean, but it declined after the Italian unification, when its status as a free port was revoked. Livorno is still among the largest ports in Italy, and an important industrial center, but the city also hosts some interesting museums and historic attractions.

✪ Montenero Sanctuary

Also known as: Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie (Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie)

The Montenero Sanctuary (Santuario di Montenero) is a religious complex located on a hill south of Livorno. Built starting in the 17th century and later expanded various times, the complex is a site of pilgrimage and it includes a richly decorated Baroque church and a large collection of historic ex-votos. The complex also includes a cemetery housing the remains of many illustrious people from Livorno.

Terrazza Mascagni

Terrazza Mascagni is a panoramic terrace located along the seafront of Livorno. The terrace was built in the 1920s and expanded after World War II, and it features a black-and-white chessboard-style pavement. This is one of the most popular areas in Livorno, and it offers a great view on the sea.

Aquarium of Livorno

The Aquarium of Livorno (Acquario di Livorno) is located next to Terrazza Mascagni and it is the largest aquarium in Tuscany. The aquarium houses thousands of animals of hundreds of different species, and it includes a section dedicated to insects, reptiles, and amphibians.

Giovanni Fattori Civic Museum

The Giovanni Fattori Civic Museum (Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori) is an art museum housed in the 19th-century Villa Mimbelli in Livorno. The museum is dedicated to Giovanni Fattori and the Macchiaioli, a group of artists active in Tuscany in the second half of the 19th century, and it hosts a large collection of their paintings. The museum also hosts many artworks from other periods and styles, and a section featuring several archaeological finds unearthed around the city. The villa hosting the museum features various halls adorned with elaborate decorations.

Museum of Natural History of the Mediterranean

The Museum of Natural History of the Mediterranean (Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo) is a natural history museum in Livorno. The museum features various exhibitions on zoology and botany, with sections dedicated to the Mediterranean sea. The museum also includes a botanical garden and a planetarium.

Livorno Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of San Francesco (Cattedrale di San Francesco)

The Livorno Cathedral (Duomo di Livorno) is a Renaissance church in Livorno and the main religious site in the city. The church was erected starting in the 16th century and later expanded. Heavily damaged in World War II, the church was completely rebuilt with slight changes. Despite this, it features various historic artworks from the original structure.

Old Fortress

The OId Fortress (Fortezza Vecchia) is a fort located in the port of Livorno. Originally erected under the rule of Pisa during the Late Middle Ages, the fort was rebuilt by the Medici family in the 16th century, incorporating some parts of the old structure in the new building. Now known as Old Fortress due to the construction of a newer fort in the city, called New Fortress, it is still well preserved.

Church of San Ferdinando

The Church of San Ferdinando is a Baroque church near the port of Livorno. Erected during the 18th century, the church houses some interesting decorations and artworks, most notably a sculptural groups that adorns the main altar and depicts an angel freeing two slaves.

Museum of the City of Livorno

The Museum of the City of Livorno (Museo della Città di Livorno) is a museum dedicated to the history of Livorno. The museum includes the former Church of Luogo Pio and a collection of historic artworks and archaeological finds. The museum also features a section dedicated to contemporary art, and it hosts temporary exhibitions.

Church of Santa Caterina

The Church of Santa Caterina is an 18th-century church located near the New Fortress in Livorno. The facade of the church remains unfinished, but it features a richly adorned interior, with Baroque decorations and a frescoed dome. The church also houses a 16th-century altarpiece painted by Vasari.

New Fortress

The New Fortress (Fortezza Nuova) is a fort in Livorno erected between the 16th and 17th century. Despite having been partially demolished, it still has most of its fortifications, and it has now been turned into a park. It forms part of the Venezia Nuova neighborhood, an area of the city characterized by many narrow canals reminiscent of Venice.

Piazza della Repubblica

Piazza della Repubblica is a large square in Livorno adorned with two 19th-century statues dedicated to Ferdinand III and Leopold II, both Grand Dukes of Tuscany. To the northeast, the square is linked with Piazza Garibaldi, which features a monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi.