Livorno is an Italian city located on the northwest coast of the Apennine Peninsula. This is a large port city, known since the 16th century. Most vacationers find themselves in Livorno on their way to the more popular cities of Tuscany - Florence, Pisa or Lucca. Nevertheless, if fate brought you to this Italian town for a day, the mass of interesting sights of Livorno will easily allow you to immerse yourself in the usual Italian life.
Today Blogoitaliano will talk about how to organize your stay in Livorno, what to see and what to try first, and how to quickly get from Livorno to Florence or Pisa.
Attractions Livorno
Holidays in Livorno are hard to imagine without sightseeing. Being for centuries a major port city, Livorno attracted here merchants from different countries who had a significant impact on the formation of its appearance. No wonder it is called the city of hundreds of nationalities. During the bombing of World War II, Livorno was almost wiped off the face of the earth, so for the most part all that you can see here now is restored buildings on a medieval foundation, preserving the romance of 500 years ago.
Livorno - a port city known since the 16th century
The main attraction and a real symbol of Livorno is the Old Fortress. Despite the fact that it was built back in the 11th century, and then noticeably transformed in the 16th century, that impregnable symbol of the power of Livorno was almost destroyed. And strangely enough it sounds, the Old Fortress today is considered one of the youngest buildings in the city. It was restored some 50 years ago and is still being restored. Anyone can visit the old fortress for free.
The old fortress is the most recognizable landmark of Livorno
Another one Historic Landmark Livorno - New Fortress, built for the Medici family in the XVI century. in the picturesque area of New Venice. Initially, the fortress was like a five-pointed star surrounded by moats and canals, but with the growth of the city, the massive walls lost their significance, and after the bombing of the twentieth century. and completely ceased to be used for its intended purpose. Now in the fortress is a cozy city park.
New fortress in the picturesque area of New Venice
The area in which the New Fortress is located is also interesting. It is called Little or New Venice due to the large number of canals, bridges and preserved architecture of the XVI-XVII centuries. In the Middle Ages, this region was chosen by wealthy merchants, several graceful Baroque mansions and villas have been preserved to this day in memory of their stay.
Piazza Grande Cathedral (Livorno, Italy)
Central square of Livorno, Piazza Grandedecorates another famous attraction - Duomo di Livorno Cathedral. It is easy to recognize it thanks to the gray facade, which differs significantly from the main color of the remaining walls. The main doors of the cathedral, depicting the most significant episodes of the history of the city, are also interesting.
It is believed that this particular cathedral, built back in the 16th century, inspired Inigo Jones to build Covent Garden.
In addition to the cathedral, other religious buildings are of interest: the Dutch Church - Chiesa della Congregazione Olandese Alemanna, the Valdencian Church of St. Andrew, the Anglican Church of St. George, the Armenian Church of San Gregorio Illuminatore, the Greek Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin, the Church of St. Catherine of Siena and towering on a hill Montenero Temple of the Madonna delle Grazie. Such an abundance of faiths and religions once again recalls the historical multinational past of the Italian town of Livorno.
Armenian Church of St. Gregory - one of the examples of the multinationality of Livorno
Do not ignore and located in Piazzale Miquelli Monument to the Four Moors - The most popular and famous monument of the city. It was established at the end of the 16th century. in honor of the great victories of Ferdinand I over sea pirates. It is the pirates in the image of the Moors that are of the greatest interest. According to the author’s plan, they personify 4 different nationalities at different stages of human life.
Monument to the Four Moors in Livorno (Italy)
Museum lovers tired of the bustle of the city can visit the famous in Livorno Natural History Museum of the Mediterraneancompletely dedicated to the biological diversity of this region. The museum is located in the historic Villa Henderson on Viale Roma, 234, around which there is a quiet and cozy English garden.
Mascani Terrace - a place for leisurely walks
When all the sights are explored, the museums are inspected and you want to take a leisurely stroll along the coast, go to Mascani Terrace. This is one of the favorite vacation spots of citizens. Numerous cafes and shops, perennial trees, giving such a long-awaited coolness and freshness of the sea breeze - all this can be found on the Mascani terrace. It ends at the city aquarium, which collected more than 150 species of marine fauna. If you still have strength, you should look here too, not for nothing aquarium Livorno considered the third largest in Italy.
Where to eat and what to try in Livorno?
The cuisine of Livorno contained all the traditions of Tuscany, accumulated over centuries, complementing them with the exquisite fish delicacies of the Mediterranean. Therefore, to try local dishes is definitely worth it.
You can start the day in one of the many city cafes with a cup of cappuccino and bagels with jam or cream, as the locals themselves do. We also recommend a delicious local dessert, Budino di Riso, for breakfast.
After a hearty breakfast, you can head to the central fish market of Livorno - Mercato Centrale, where every day except Sunday, from 6 a.m. to noon they sell the freshest seafood, Mediterranean vegetables and fruits, the famous Italian pasta and very inexpensive aromatic olive oil. Here you can easily pick up products for a picnic, which can then be arranged in the Villa Fabbricotti park. Do not forget to bring with you the local cake “Torta di Ceci”.
The central market is one of the main attractions of the city
As an afternoon snack, locals prefer Schiacciata - a piece of flat bread with olive oil, sausages and cheese, or Roschette - small rings of dough. In general, bakery products play an important role in the life of Livornians.
Loved in Livorno and sea delicacies. All the exquisite tastes of the sea can be appreciated at the Cantina Senese Restaurant, located at Borgo dei Cappuccini 95 or at the Ca 'Moro boat restaurant on Piazza del Pamiglione. Regardless of the choice of place, we recommend tasting the local Cacciucco, which is made from five types of marine inhabitants and served with garlic bread.
Cacciucco - a traditional Tuscan dish
You can also have a cheap meal in the osteria La Barrocciaia at Piazza Cavallotti 13. If you find a free table, boldly borrow it, you can save a lot on main dishes, but if you are not lucky, bring a big sandwich with you for only 5-7 euros.
Tuscany meat dishes are best prepared at the Cantina Senese tavern, which can be found in the Borgo di Livorno area.
Do not miss the opportunity to try traditional Tuscan wines. They are served both in traditional restaurants and in the famous enoteca Parole e Cibi, Cantina Nardi, La Botte e il Tappо and others.
Well, you can complete your gastronomic trip to Livorno with the most delicious ice cream in Tuscany, which can be found in numerous gelateria both in the city and on the seashore.
Livorno beaches
Livorno is not the best choice in terms of beach holidays. The city has several very small beaches, more like an equipped place for launching into the water. Yes, and the nearby industrial port negatively affects the quality of water.
Despite the fact that Livorno is located on the seashore, there are not many beaches
Nevertheless, for lovers of lazy basking in the sun on the picturesque seashore there is an excellent way out. It is enough to travel north outside the city, to where the city channel connects the Arno River with the sea. Up to Marina di Pisa, almost 10 km, an excellent sandy beach stretches here. There are good beaches in the south of the city in the areas of Antignano and Ardense.
Livorno Hotels
Those who do not like the crush on the city beach can choose a hotel in Livorno with its own beach. There are few such hotels and all of them are far from the center. Among the most popular:
- Hotel Rex **** (located in the south of the city in the Antignano district, 6 km from the center)
- Hotel Gennarino *** (located in an elegant villa of the early twentieth century in the south of the city)
- Villaggio Miramare (also located in the south of Lirovno, 7 km from the center. It offers separate self-catering seafront bungalows with access to the sea)
Hotel Rex - a hotel where you can admire the incredible scenery directly from the balcony
If the presence of a beach is not a fundamental condition for you, finding a decent hotel at reasonable prices and in the city center will not be difficult. You can do this at the link below.
How to get from Livorno to Florence or Pisa
For those who consider a stopover in the city of Livorno in Italy only as transit on the way to such famous cities as Pisa or Florence, Blogoitaliano prepared several recommendations on how to organize your trip in order to see one of them or 2 cities in 1 day.
- The first, easiest and most popular way is to book an excursion from Livorno to Florence and Pisa. Our guide to Tuscany, Natalia, will help organize such an excursion, which Blogoitaliano already wrote about in the article "Excursions in Florence: a review about the guide from BlogoItaliano".
- The second popular way is to rent a car link and see two cities yourself or choose one of them. Fortunately, it’s not so far from Livorno to Pisa and Florence: it is 27 km to Pisa, and 94 km to Florence. You can pick up the car in the city center, where shuttle buses deliver all vacationers from the port. Don't want to waste time and wait for the shuttle? Take a taxi. Transfer to the city center will not cost so much. For those who plan to travel around Italy in a rented car, we recommend reading the article: "Car rental in Italy: everything you need to know when booking a car"
- And finally, the third way is to get to Florence or Pisa by public transport. Two options are possible here: the first is to take a shuttle to Piazza Grande and buy a bus or train ticket to Florence or Pisa from the tobacco kiosk; the second option is to go directly from the port to the Livorno train station by bus number 1, and then by train to Pisa, Florence or Lucca.
Livorno Central Station
Attention! Before boarding a train, be sure to stamp your tickets. You can read about how to do this in the article "Italian Railways: Train Schedules and Ticket Purchases"
