Introducing Livorno

Tuscany's second-largest city, Livorno is aquintessential port town with few apologies. Itsold churches and arresting architecture may be a strangely welcome change for Tuscan-wearysouls craving a little variety. Great seafood and popular beaches south of the city add to its charm.

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Getting Here & Around:

getting there and away

Livorno is a major port. Ferries depart regularly for Sardinia and Corsica leave from Calata Carrara, beside the Stazione Marittima. Ferries to Capraia and Gorgona depart fromPorto Mediceo, a smaller terminal near Piazzadell'Arsenale. Some services to Sardiniadepart from Porto Nuovo, about 3km (1.9mi) northof the city along Via Sant'Orlando. Ferry companies operating from Livorno include Toremar (tel: 199 12 31 99; daily services to Isola di Capraia), Lloyd Sardegna (tel: 0565 22 23 00; daily ferries to Sardinia), Corsica Ferries/Sardinia Ferries (tel: 019 21 55 11;Stazione Marittima; services to Bastia and Golfo Aranci), and Moby (tel: 199 30 30 40; services to Bastia and Olbia). ATL (tel: 0586 84 74 08) buses depart from Largo Duomo for Cecina (1hr),Piombino (2.25hr)and Pisa (45min). The A12 runs past the city and the SS1 connectsLivorno with Rome. There are several car parks near the waterfront. Livorno is on the Rome-La Spezia rail line and is also connected to Florence and Pisa. Destinations include Rome (3-4hr), Florence (90min) and Pisa (15min). Trains are a lot less frequent to Stazione Marittima, the station for the ports, but buses to/from the main station run quiteregularly.

getting around

ATL bus 1 runs from the main train station toPorto Mediceo. To reach Stazione Marittima,take bus 7 or electric bus PB1, PB2 or PB3. Allpass through Piazza Grande.

Weather:

Like the rest of Tuscany, Livorno enjoys a typically Mediterranean climate, with a mean annual temperature of around 15°C (59°F). Summertime can be oppressive and hot, although a soothing sea breeze prevents temperatures from reaching the crazy highs of inland cities like Florence. Indeed, a local joke claims that very little work gets done in Livorno during the summer months (June to September), as the Livornese are too busy sunning themselves at the beach! October and November bring cooler weather and rain in the lead-up to winter. Winter in Livorno isn't as cold as other parts of Tuscany, and temperatures rarely dip below 0°C (32°F). Snow is rare, and days can often be crisp and clear.

Jul 17º - 29º Rainfall: 229

Aug 17º - 29º Rainfall: 559

Apr 7º - 18º Rainfall: 787

Jan 2º - 11º Rainfall: 737

Mar 5º - 15º Rainfall: 762

Nov 6º - 16º Rainfall: 1219

Oct 11º - 21º Rainfall: 1194

Sep 14º - 26º Rainfall: 889

Jun 14º - 26º Rainfall: 432

Feb 3º - 12º Rainfall: 686

May 11º - 22º Rainfall: 610

Dec 3º - 12º Rainfall: 864

Average temperature (ºC); Average total precipitation ( mm )

Places to go:

Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori

Address: Via San Jacopo in Acquaviva 65, City Center
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Phone: 0586 80 80 01
Price: admission 4 EUR
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Though the style was noted/criticized for its 'lack of finish', it did not go nearly as far dissolving form into light as the simultaneous work done by French Impressionists. The museum often hosts temporary exhibitions.

Set in a pretty park, this museum features works by the 19th-century Italian impressionist Macchiaioli school, led by Livorno-born Giovanni Fattori. The group, inspired by the Parisian Barbizon school, flouted stringent academic art conventions and worked directly from nature, emphasizing immediacy and freshness through patches, or 'stains', of colour ("macchia").

Fortezza Nuova

Address: , Piccola Venezia
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Laced with canals, what the fort's surrounding area lacks in gondolas and tourists, it makes up for with a certain shabby charm: waterways are flanked by faded, peeling apartments brightly decorated with strings of washing.

The Fortezza Nuova, located in the area known as Piccola Venezia (Little Venice) because of its small canals, was built, using Venetian methods of reclaiming land from the sea, for the Medici court in the late 16th century. The interior of the fort is now a park and little remains except the sturdy outer walls.

Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscan

Address: , east of Livorno
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Website: www.islepark.it

But it's not only the land that's protected - the 60,000 hectares of sea that washes around the islands make up Europe's largest marine protected area. Here, typical Mediterranean fish abound and rare species, such as the wonderfully named Neptune's shaving brush seaweed - unique to the archipelago - cling on to life. And the monk-seal, driven from the other islands by human presence, still gambols in the deep underwater ravines off Montecristo. The islands, an essential rest stop for birds migrating between Europe and Africa, are a treat for birdwatchers year-round. The shy red partridge survives on Elba and Pianosa and the archipelago supports over a third of the world's population of the equally uncommon Corsican seagull, adopted as the national park's symbol.

According to local legend, when Venus rose from the waves, seven precious stones fell from her tiara, creating seven islands off the Tuscan coast. They range from the 530 sq km of Elba, the largest, to tiny Montecristo, at just over 1000 hectares. All except Montecristo, nowadays a closed marine biological reserve, rely mainly on income from tourism. This national park was established in 1996 to protect the delicate ecosystems of the islands.

Useful Info:

Language Spoken: Italian

Currency Used: Euro, EUR

Cuisine:

Time Zone: +1

Area Code: 0586

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