Discovering the Cruise Port of Livorno
Plus a few unexpected artistic finds
We sailed into Livorno under a blazing Mediterranean sun. Sailing these waters is like sailing into the past — long stretches of barren coastline, little villages marked with their groves of olives and grapes, the sails of small boats dotting the water. It is travelling the works of Homer, and the history of legend.
This area has been occupied since Neolithic times, with pieces of copper, ceramics and carved bones found in nearby caves. The Romans named the cove Liburna, in reference to a ship used by their navy. The town has been owned by Pisa, Milan, Genoa and Florence. Under the Medici, the port expanded, and two Medici fortresses still dominate the port: the Fortezza Nuovo and the Fortezza Vecchia (Cosmio I had a palace built within the Fortress Vecchia). By the end of the 17th C had become a major trading port –Livorno is now apparently the second largest shipping port in Tuscany, but little work seemed to get done. On a side note, the Italian Communist Party was founded here in 1921.
A bus took us to the centre of town, stopping at the Comune di Livorno (or Town Hall). Already the day was hot, and the queues outside the Tourist Information ridiculously long; many would-be explorers sat in the few spots in the shade, fanning themselves with guide-books and maps…
