Itinerary 3 |
Fosso Reale and the Central Market
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The heart of the modern city |
Piazza del Municipio, the Cathedral, Via della Madonna and the Churches of the Nations, Piazza della Repubblica, Fosso Reale, Central Market, Piazza Cavour, Via Ricasoli and Via Cairoli, the Synagogue
We begin our tour in the Piazza del Municipio.
Among the buildings on the square, the Grand-ducal Palazzo (now Head Office of Provincial Administration), built at the behest of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, was designed by Antonio Cantagallina (1605). Totally reconstructed after the war, only the beautiful facade of the original building, dating from 1629, when the building was enlarged, remains.
To the side stands the Palazzo del Municipio [City Hall], which is topped by an attractive bell tower, designed by Giovanni del Fantasia in 1720. The restoration, following the earthquake of 1742, prompted the building of the magnificent staircase. The interior, though having lost part of its historical heritage due to wartime bombings, still has a wealth of valuable features. The heraldic gallery contains over fifty ancient coats-of-arms. The ceremonial hall boasts two large-scale seventeenth-century paintings, one by the Neapolitan Luca Giordano (Fair outside the walls of the city of Livorno), the other by the Flemish Justus Sustermans (Ferdinando II de’ Medici and the Livorno harbour). The City Council boardroom, which houses the flag of the defence of Livorno during the siege of 1849, is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the history of the city, while above the access doors there are busts of renowned Livorno figures.
To the left of the Registry Office stands the Palazzo della Dogana, now Head Office of the Chamber of Commerce, an elegant seventeenth-century building whose exterior has remained virtually unchanged.
Among the buildings on the square, the Grand-ducal Palazzo (now Head Office of Provincial Administration), built at the behest of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, was designed by Antonio Cantagallina (1605). Totally reconstructed after the war, only the beautiful facade of the original building, dating from 1629, when the building was enlarged, remains.
To the side stands the Palazzo del Municipio [City Hall], which is topped by an attractive bell tower, designed by Giovanni del Fantasia in 1720. The restoration, following the earthquake of 1742, prompted the building of the magnificent staircase. The interior, though having lost part of its historical heritage due to wartime bombings, still has a wealth of valuable features. The heraldic gallery contains over fifty ancient coats-of-arms. The ceremonial hall boasts two large-scale seventeenth-century paintings, one by the Neapolitan Luca Giordano (Fair outside the walls of the city of Livorno), the other by the Flemish Justus Sustermans (Ferdinando II de’ Medici and the Livorno harbour). The City Council boardroom, which houses the flag of the defence of Livorno during the siege of 1849, is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the history of the city, while above the access doors there are busts of renowned Livorno figures.
To the left of the Registry Office stands the Palazzo della Dogana, now Head Office of the Chamber of Commerce, an elegant seventeenth-century building whose exterior has remained virtually unchanged.
To reach the Piazza del Duomo one passes under the remarkable Palazzo Grande, ironically called the “noble disruption” by the locals. It was built in the 1950s, splitting the historic Piazza d’Arme (1660) in two. The spacious square originally extended from the Cathedral portico to the City Hall and the construction of such a bulky, unwieldy building right in the middle of the square provoked much controversy.
The Piazza d’Arme represented, within the urban plan of the ideal city envisaged by Ferdinando de’ Medici and designed by Bernardo Buontalenti, the hub of civic and religious life in Livorno. The harmony and airy volume of this square inspired the Englishman Inigo Jones (who introduced Renaissance architecture into England and, according to some, took part in the construction of Livorno Cathedral) in his design for Covent Garden in London. It is also claimed that Place de Volges in Paris was also inspired by the Livorno square. The bombings of 1944 devastated the Cathedral (designed by Alessandro Pieroni, 1594-1606), which was rebuilt according to the old Renaissance plan.
The Piazza d’Arme represented, within the urban plan of the ideal city envisaged by Ferdinando de’ Medici and designed by Bernardo Buontalenti, the hub of civic and religious life in Livorno. The harmony and airy volume of this square inspired the Englishman Inigo Jones (who introduced Renaissance architecture into England and, according to some, took part in the construction of Livorno Cathedral) in his design for Covent Garden in London. It is also claimed that Place de Volges in Paris was also inspired by the Livorno square. The bombings of 1944 devastated the Cathedral (designed by Alessandro Pieroni, 1594-1606), which was rebuilt according to the old Renaissance plan.
Back in Via Grande, still heading towards Piazza della Repubblica, we find the monument to Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi (1885) by the Livorno sculptor Lorenzo Gori and then the statues of the greatest Livorno painter Giovanni Fattori (1903), sculpted by Valmore Gemignani, located behind the building of the Cisternino, one of the components of the Livorno aqueduct system (1793-1833). vast Piazza della Repubblica known as the Voltone [large vault], since it really is a vault, a giant bridge. Below the square, in fact, flow the waters of the Fosso Reale [Royal Canal] for over 220 metres, to emerge in front of the New Fortress. The surface of the square is ellipsoid in shape, with stately lampposts, marble benches and stanchions once used for tying up horses. Two imposing statues face each other: the Lorraine Grand Dukes Ferdinando II and Leopoldo II, sculpted by, respectively, Francesco Pozzi and Emilio Santarelli. Facing the canal there is the large Mercato Centrale [Central Market] (or Mercato delle Vettovaglie) (1894), designed by the architect Angelo Badaloni. It’s an imposing edifice, with lots of little compartments for shops, cold storage rooms, counters etc. It is still well-organised, with its fascinating, original fin de siècle architecture. All manner of goods is to be found and the locals love going shopping here: you can get a glimpse of the real spirit of the people in cheeky, laid-back, friendly exchanges with the shopkeepers. The same is true of the other lively market nearby: Mercato delle Erbe in Piazza Cavallotti. And, since you’re in the market area, don’t forget to try a tasty “Cinque e Cinque” [chickpea pancake in a sandwich] or the sugar bomb doughnut known as “frate”.
From the Market bridge, we can see another impressive building by Badaloni, containing the Benci Elementary Schools (1893). Not far off is the Neo-Gothic church, constructed by Dario Giacomelli, between 1862 and 1864, commissioned by the Dutch German community.
From the Market bridge, we can see another impressive building by Badaloni, containing the Benci Elementary Schools (1893). Not far off is the Neo-Gothic church, constructed by Dario Giacomelli, between 1862 and 1864, commissioned by the Dutch German community.
Not to be missed...
A boat trip along the canals and under the vault of Piazza della Repubblica is an amazing experience. The network of moats and canals of Venezia Nuova, albeit subject to modification over the centuries, still retains much of its unspoilt charm. Indeed, since 2002, an application for its classification as World Heritage Site has been pending.
A boat trip along the canals and under the vault of Piazza della Repubblica is an amazing experience. The network of moats and canals of Venezia Nuova, albeit subject to modification over the centuries, still retains much of its unspoilt charm. Indeed, since 2002, an application for its classification as World Heritage Site has been pending.
We reach Piazza Cavour, built in the first half of the nineteenth century. Two important streets linking Piazza Grande and Piazza Attias converge here: Via Cairoli and Via Ricasoli. The area occupied by the square was originally the southern bulwark of the fortified town designed by Bernardo Buontalenti.
1871 saw the erection of the monument to Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, created by the Livorno sculptor Vincenzo Cerri (1833-1903). The statue stands on a pedestal designed by local architect Arturo Conti.
The numerous cafes in the square and in Via Cairoli and Via Ricasoli are very popular for grabbing a quick tasty bite at lunchtime.
A 2003 plaque on a building overlooking the square, on the corner between Piazza Cavour and Via Cairoli (today home to a Danish chain store), recalls the famous Caffè Bardi, a historic cafe – operating between 1908 and 1921 – that was meeting point for Livorno artists, especially painters, but also sculptors, playwrights and musicians. Close to Via Cairoli, in Piazza Benamozegh, there is the Synagogue, designed by the Roman architect Angelo Di Castro and reconstructed in 1962 on the spot where the old synagogue stood – one of the wealthiest and most beautiful in Europe.
Not to be missed...
The statue of Leopoldo II, by Paolo Emilio Demi, was initially placed in Piazza della Repubblica. It was taken during the Risorgimento uprisings of 1849 and replaced by a copy made, in 1855, by Emilio Santarelli. Demi’s statue, removed from its pedestal and abandoned for around a century, now sits in the centre of Piazza XX Settembre. This square, which was once home to the American Market, is worth a small detour. Today, freed of its market stalls, it offers visitors a splendid view of the Church of San Benedetto and of the exquisite statue that the sovereign commissioned Demi with – Demi was one of the major exponents of the Tuscan Neoclassical School. The monument was recently restored by the Comune of Livorno and the Soroptimist International Club of Livorno, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Foundation of the Club.