A Guide to Livorno

Livorno is both the second biggest port in Italy and the second biggest city in Tuscany. The city has experienced great international trade since Medieval times and the shipping business retains its importance today. The fishing industry has provided the city with some of the best seafood in Italy. Alongside the cities industrial strengths it also is a city of cultural importance.

Livorno was once home to the writer Marrani, the musician Pietro Mascagni and the great painters Fattori and Modigliani. The Giovanni Fattori Civic Museum houses numerous works by major painters from the Macchiaioli School. The sites around the city include the famous sculpture ‘Quattro Mori’ by Pietro Tacco in Piazza Micheli, the Duomo, Palazzo del Picchetto, the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Montenero, Fortezza Nuova which once belonged to the Medici dynasty is ideal for afternoon strolls, and a visit to the harbour and docking area for a feel for the busy maritime events that have stretched history.