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Living in Livorno - What goes on behind the scenes

Popular weekend activity!Living in Livorno on a long-term basis opens your eyes to what lies behind the city's most obvious attractions and places of interest. There are nearly 160,000 people living here, so to start with there have to be plenty of schools. All levels of compulsory schooling are provided for in Livorno, and although the nearest university is in Pisa (just a few miles away), a new faculty has recently been set up in Livorno itself offering courses to do with port logistics. At pre-school level, the city council runs several "nidi" for children from 18 months, and many nursery schools for the 3-6 year olds. There are also a number of private schools offering these pre-school services.

Olive Picking in Limoncino

Olive picking with Jessica24th October 2010 The olive harvest in Italy is carried out in October and November and it is common knowledge that if you are invited to lunch by friends who have olive trees at this time of year, you will probably be roped in to help with the olive picking!

When I found out that my friend Jessica was in town to harvest her trees, I willingly volunteered to help, having never been involved in this very Tuscan autumn chore before.

Paranza by Simonetta Filippi

A Book Review - and Christmas Gift Idea - from Alessandro Ulivari

Cover of the book Paranza by Simonetta FilippiIf you want to eat fried seafood in Livorno, you have to choose between fried prawns and calamari or “fried paranza”. Fried paranza is a mixture of several kinds of very small fish, so the main characteristics of this dish are variety and small dimensions. This is the reason why, I suppose, the writer Simonetta Filippi decided to entitle her book “Paranza” (Ed. Erasmo).

In fact this is a book of stories, each one very different from the other (in terms of subject, style, and atmosphere), but also very very short. Some of these stories are very funny, like “La Prima Notte di Nozze” ('the first wedding night') which describes an improvised meeting between several women talking about their first wedding night. The end of the story deserves to be read at least three times!

The elusive wild asparagus, by Camilla Pagliaroli

Wild asparagus26th March 2013 You would be forgiven for thinking that the porcini season has come early when you see the locals sniffing around the countryside. But no, this time of the year it is the elusive but tender wild asparagus that gets people out of the house.

We overlook a little green wooded area on the other side of the road, and every few days I see people, with the excuse of just being out for a leisurely passeggiata, carefully surveying the area just by the bend and jumping across the little ditch and leaning into the woods. Blink and you'd miss it, but when they come back out again, looking completely innocent, mind you, they carry another couple of prized wild asparagus stems in their hand.

A Meeting Place for Foreign Women in Livorno

The CESDI association (Centro Servizi Donne Immigrati) of Livorno has once again organised a series of meetings for foreign women in Livorno working as care assistants to the elderly. There are increasing numbers of women from abroad coming to Livorno to carry out this kind of work. They often come alone, leaving friends and family behind, and it can be difficult for them to make contact with other people in a similar situation.

Aspetto Che Spiova by Riccardo D'Amico

Review of the Livornese Writer by Alessandro Ulivari

The Cover of Aspetto Che SpiovaBefore reading Riccardo D’Amico’s book entitled “Aspetto che spiova” (‘I’m waiting for it to stop raining’) I thought that the style and also the contents of this book would be quite similar to Bukowski. I expected to find some rough dialogues, scurrilous words and the genuine passion of a couldn’t-care-less attitude that are several aspects of Charles Bukowski's approach to the world. These expectations were reinforced by some statements by the author on the cover:

“I was born in Livorno on October 5th 1960 and grew up in the Livornese Bronx in a workers family, in the Shangai quarter”, “Bukowski came afterward, and was devastating. He came after the first joint and after the first kiss of love. The gambling came close behind like a cigarette coughing after smoking.” “ I dream about waking up always just after noon and finding a reason to take me back under the blanket”.

Corners of Livorno Restored: Piazza Caproni and Via Santa Caterina

New pavement for Via Santa CaterinaThis weekend, in the historical 'new' Venezia quarter of Livorno, a short stretch of street is being inaugurated and returned to the city after a period of restoration: Via Santa Caterina is close to the church of the same name and was in fact once an area used as a cemetery, hence its original name 'via del Camposanto'. It has now been given a new look with new paving stones and street lighting. It has also been pedestrianised.
On Saturday 21st March at 4.30pm there will be a short ceremony in the presence of the Mayor of Livorno, Alessandro Cosimi, and the priest from the church of Santa Caterina, Don Giuseppe Ferrari, who will give a blessing.

Freshwater Fishing in Livorno

Freshwater Fishing at La Bua fishing lake, LivornoFor the first time in Livorno, it is now possible to go freshwater fishing, thanks to the efforts of Claudio Filippi and his partners who have recently opened the Laghetto La Bua fishing lake in a quiet oasis not far from the city centre. Open all year round, the club aims to promote fishing in Livorno, but also to create a tranquil meeting place for families and fishing enthusiasts, a place where they can also have a drink or a meal and enjoy some time away from everyday life.

Livorno Moves Up 8 Places in Quality of Life Table

View of Livorno31 December 2008 According to the survey just published by the Sole 24 Ore newspaper, the province of Livorno has moved up eight places in the “quality of life in Italy” league table since last year.

Livorno now lies in joint 30th position with Ferrara, moving up from 38th place last year. It is the fourth province in Tuscany, preceded by Siena in 7th place, Florence (12th), and Grosseto (16th).

Mariana Kellond and the new Vertigo Theatre

Mariana Kellond and theatre director Marco Conte at the new Vertigo Theatre, Livorno: background paintings by Franco Sumberaz, temporary exhibition11th April 2012 It could almost be the title of a play - Mariana and the new Vertigo Theatre! Mariana, however, is far from just an actor in one of the performances created by the Centro Culturale Vertigo: she is an enthusiastic, dedicated and highly motivated organizer, supporter and member of the energetic team of actors, teachers, writers and musicians that make up the association.