News, Articles & Editorial

Giorgio Caproni Centenary

Giorgio Caproni Centenary: poster design by Anna Laura Bachini

Livorno commemorates the life of poet Giorgio Caproni a hundred years after his birth in the city

Giorgio Caproni was born in Livorno on 7th January 1912, and died in Rome on 22nd January 1990. He was a poet - one of the most prominent of his time in Italy - , literary critic and translator. Although he spent most of his life in Rome, Caproni wrote about his birthplace, Livorno, in several of his poems. In 1949 he returned to Livorno to look for his grandparents' graves and rediscovered a love of the town of his early years.

Interview with The Lip Colour Revolution

The Lip Colour Revolution: Photo by Laura SgherriOn a cold Tuesday afternoon we squeezed round a table in the corner of the Mille Miglia café in Piazza Attias, me and three of the four members of (the) Lip Colour Revolution, and warmed our hands on cups of vaguely hot tea.

Abandoned - part two: Terme del Corallo

The early-20th century Terme del Corallo buildingThis beautiful old building, designed by Angiolo Badaloni (also responsible for Livorno's indoor market), used to be the central part of the Terme del Corallo spa complex created by the Acque della Salute company in the early 1900s around a source of saline water which was found to be particularly beneficial for digestive ailments. The complex became a popular spa resort and was used as such until the Second World War. After the war, it was used as a dance hall.

Abandoned!

19th-century theatre in Villa Mimbelli3rd April 2011 A friend told me about this little theatre, hidden away in the Villa Mimbelli park, so I went to have a look.
Looking very sad and abandoned, roughly boarded up, the theatre lies away from the main Villa, in a quiet spot in the park. It was built in the 19th century and seems to have been in disuse for quite some time.

Beyond Painting, beyond the Macchiaioli

Bottini dell'Olio - ideal exhibition space, too infrequently used: an exhibition held in May 201011th January 2011 Talk to any of Livorno's many talented contemporary artists and they will probably complain about how the city's artistic scene is too strongly tied to its Macchiaioli background. Livorno's galleries heave with works from this artistic period as though nothing else worth showing existed. It is difficult for contemporary Livornese artists to find space to show their works locally, and many are forced to turn to other cities and regions.

Here then, is an exhibition that appears to want to break away from Livorno's traditional artistic heritage and to present some refreshing new works that go beyond the conventional.

Bobo - from Prokoviev to politics

15th July 2011
Bobo Rondelli narrates Peter and the Wolf with ORTJust last week Livorno's popular singer-songwriter Bobo Rondelli joined the Florence-based Orchestra della Toscana as narrator in Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.

This rather unusual role for Bobo - known for his caustic humour and laid back style - may have been cause for some doubts on the other side of the Livornese border, but judging by the audiences' (and the musicians') reaction during the two performances (in San Marcello Pistoiese and Poggio a Caiano), Bobo more than proved his talent as an all-round, and very funny entertainer.

Cage Rage over Livorno Council Music Permit Mix-up

The Cage Theatre, LivornoNo more music at The Cage Theatre?

1 July 2011 Just a few weeks ago the newly restored The Cage Theatre in Livorno’s Villa Corridi park announced an exciting programme of events for the coming summer, having already hosted a string of quality bands and music since the opening of the venue earlier in the year (Meat Puppets, Melissa auf der Maur, Verdena, to name just a few).

Great new live music venue for Livorno

Compact Moroboshi on tour in London

Compact Moroboshi in London, November 20119th November 2011

Livorno's electro-clash band, Compact Moroboshi, is currently on a short tour in London. The band played at the Roadtrip & The Workshop on Monday 7th, at The Good Ship in Kilburn High Road on Tuesday 8th, and tonight, as I write, are at Ryan's Bar in Stoke Newington.

Contemporary Art Exhibition in Venezia Comes to an End

2 July 2011
Francesco Baronti at L'AltroVersoTwo weeks ago, on the occasion of the Notte Blu, the newly-founded Quartiere La Venezia association inaugurated an exhibition of 35 contemporary artists in Livorno's Venezia district. Organised by art critic Cristina Olivieri, the exhibition saw artists' work displayed in a selection of the area's shops, bars and restaurants, spaces not conventionally used for displaying artwork.

Costumeria Panciatici - Making Costumes for Carnival and Much More

Costumes & Accessories at the Costumeria Panciatici13th February 2010 We are coming up to the height of the Carnival period, with Martedì Grasso (Shrove Tuesday) on the 16th February this year. If you are thinking of dressing up and heading off to a special carnival party or even to Venice, the Livorno-based Costumeria Panciatici can help you out.

Tucked away on the first floor of a palazzo in Via Magenta, the Costumeria Panciatici is a family-run costume hire business that has been going for more than 30 years.