Summer in Livorno: Sea by day, Music by night22 June 2008.

Sea by day, music by night

While the focus in Livorno is definitely on Sun Sea and Sand during the long summer days, there is an incredible variety of events going on when the sun goes down, offering something to suit all tastes, but with a particular emphasis on music.

Marco Quaretta and his Vintage Scooter Workshop

Vespa Badge, part of Marco's CollectionVespa is the Italian word for ‘wasp’, and it was Enrico Piaggio - founder of the Piaggio factory in the province of Pisa -  who gave the scooter its name back in 1946, because of the high buzzing noise – like a wasp - that its engine made, and its unusual narrow-waisted shape.

A Life-long Passion for Vespa Scooters

Unlike other teenagers who eventually grow out of their love for their two-wheeled means of transport, Livorno-born Marco Quaretta never lost his passion for the workings of the Vespa scooter. By watching others and experimenting on his own, over the years Marco has become an authority on this much loved Italian classic, and for some years now has had his own immaculate workshop and vintage Vespa scooter showroom in the heart of one of Livorno’s oldest districts, San Jacopo, not far from the church of the same name and the Pancaldi bathing lido.

 An Anglo-Livornese Collaboration

Giles Foster on The Soul Contact CD Cover13 June 2008 Giles Foster has lived and worked in Livorno for longer than he probably cares to remember, but he is originally from Salisbury in England and comes from a family of musicians. He had his first experience of Rock music at the age of 8, when his father first brought a TV home. Ever since then he has been passionate about music, singing and playing the acoustic guitar in his own band, and writing his own songs which communicate his great love of life.

International Line-up includes The Verve, The Chemical Brothers, The Wombats, and Gnarls Barkely

Scene from the 2007 Italia Wave FestivalThis year's important Italia Wave Festival will take place here in Livorno from 16th to 19th July. In previous years this annual festival of music and culture has taken place in Arezzo and in Florence, but this year the city of Livorno has been chosen as the venue because of its lively summer seaside atmosphere.

The Hebridean Spirit Docks in Livorno

Hebridean Spirit Quietly docks in the Port of LivornoWhile a great deal of media coverage was given to the arrival of "the world's biggest cruise ship" in the port of Livorno last Saturday, I doubt if many people noticed the arrival of the very small and select Hebridean Spirit, which slipped quietly into port a few days earlier. Probably the only cruise ship to be registered in Glasgow, this ship holds a maximum of 98 passengers, and offers luxury cruises with an emphasis on less-frequently visited destinations.

Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classical, and Cabaret in the Fortezza Vecchia 

The Stage at the Fortezza VecchiaLivorno's Fortezza Vecchia has become the most important venue for musical events in Livorno during the summer, taking over from where The Cage Club left off at the end of May. But while the Cage Club stages predominantly rock and popular music, the four months of events at the Fortezza, from June to September, include a wide range of concerts and cabaret, from jazz to rock and classical music, and lots in between, to suit all tastes.

park by day, cinema by night, Villa Fabbricotti, LivornoAnother summer season of films 'under the stars' at the Arena Fabbricotti, inside the Villa Fabbricotti park, begins on the 26th June. The summer movie evenings offer an opportunity to see films missed during the 2007/08 season. Below is the programme up until the end of July. The second part will be published later in the summer.