Places to Visit

Exploring Livorno

View over the Fortezza Nuova to the Scali delle CantineThe city of Livorno and the surrounding area offer a wide range of places to see and things to do, both for those in search of history and culture and for those intent on more mundane pleasures. Although much of Livorno was destroyed during the 2nd World War, there are still a great number of interesting historical sights and buildings to be seen, dating from medieval times to the 19th century.

Getting a Buzz from Old Vespas

Marco Quaretta and his Vintage Scooter Workshop

Marco Quaretta and his Juke BoxVespa 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.

Google Map of Livorno City Centre

The city centre of Livorno is fairly compact, but any new town can be confusing, so I have created a map, with the aid of Google, to try to help those of you who would like to explore the city by yourselves.
You can zoom in and out, pan right and left, and switch to satellite view, to suit your needs.

Livorno's Top Ten

View from Livorno's seafrontTerrazza MascagniA Personal Choice of What Not To Miss in Livorno

The Central Market – an array of colour, chaos and local flavour
A Boat Ride on the Fossi (or canals) of Livorno, for an original view of the city
The Museo Fattori – Livorno’s Art Gallery – in Villa Mimbelli
Terrazza Mascagni – the sweeping terrace that overlooks the sea

Looking for Something Different

Vespa Line-up in Marco's ShowroomBored with shopping? Had it with old churches and museums?! Try a different slant on Livorno!

If you are looking for something unusual to do during your time in Livorno, here are a few suggestions:

Visit Marco Quaretta's vintage Vespa workshop in the San Jacopo district
Check out an exhibition of contemporary art at one of Livorno's private galleries (see the What's On pages to see what is showing).
Seek out one of Livorno's talented designers - choose from artistic ceramics, reclaimed sculptures, murano glass jewellery, and lots more

Need some help and advice in Livorno?

I'm a licensed tour leader for TuscanyNot everyone is confident enough to explore a new foreign city on their own. It can take time to work out how to get around, how the local buses work, where to eat and shop, and sometimes even just to get your bearings. And when time is short, this can be frustrating and annoying, especially if your Italian is not up to scratch!

If you are keen to explore Livorno but would like some assistance, I could help you out.

The Central Food Market in Livorno

One of the Five Entrances to Livorno Central MarketLivorno's Central Market is one of the highlights on any visit to the city. The huge building towers over the main canal on the Scali Saffi and is easily reached from Piazza Cavour. It dates from the late-19th century and was designed by Angiolo Badaloni who was probably inspired by Parisian architecture of the same period.

The market is open every morning from Monday to Saturday and is well worth a visit. Five entrances lead into the main food hall where 34 shops and 230 stalls sell meat, eggs, poultry, ham, cheese, bread, wine, and a whole variety of intriguing foodstuffs.

The English Cemetery in Via Verdi, Livorno

One of the Tombstones in the Monumental Cimitero degli Inglesi in Via VerdiKnown in Livorno as the Antico Cimitero degli Inglesi, or the Old English Cemetery, the monumental cemetery in Via Verdi dates from the 1640s and is the oldest of its kind in the whole of Italy.

The Strange Case of the Missing Historic Sights

The official, but misleading, Livorno city mapLivorno's tourist map lacks valuable information for visitors

The city of Livorno has dozens and dozens of places of historical significance, yet no more than five of them are marked on the official city map distributed by Livorno's Tourist Information Office to the hundreds of visitors that disembark in Livorno daily from cruise ships.

As reported by Matteo Giunti of the Livorno delle Nazioni cultural association in the Facebook groups Salviamo l'Antico Cimitero Inglese and Salviamo la Chiesa Olandese, the official tourist map of Livorno is seriously lacking in valuable information that could, and should, be helping visitors to discover the city of Livorno and its history.

100 Years of Montenero's Funicular Railway

The Montenero Funicular RailwayIn 2008, the Funicular Railway in Montenero, Livorno, celebrated its 100th birthday.

It was inaugurated on 19th August 1908 and was the first electric railway of its kind in Italy. Until 1963, it represented the main means of transport for Montenero, until the building of the panoramic road leading directly to the Sanctuary.

There are two trains running up and down the 656m track, each one capable of carrying 40 passengers. They can transport up to 580 people per hour.