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A Gourmet Tour of Livorno
Eat Your Way around Livorno!
If you are a lover of Italian food, or just food in general, you can easily spend a day or a weekend in Livorno making your way around a selection of the many cafés, bars, restaurants and market stalls sampling some of the local gourmet specialities. After all, Italian life rotates around food, so you cannot leave without trying at least a few of the great things to eat and drink.
Getting a Buzz from Old Vespas
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.
Livorno's Top Ten
A 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
The Livorno Card - for Discounts all over Town
Save some euros while you see Livorno
In operation again this year is the LIVORNO CARD, a means of saving money during your time in Livorno. The Livorno Card costs €3 for one day and €5 for three days, and is free for children under 12.
The advantages that come from holding a Livorno Card are as follows:
• Free travel on the local ATL bus service
• Free entry to the Giovanni Fattori Civic Museum and the Natural History Museum
• A discounted price of €8.50 for the boat trip on the canals of Livorno (full rate €10).
• Discounts at participating shops and restaurants (look for the Livorno Card logo).
• Tour Guides – 10% discount for groups and individuals
• Discounted entrance of €2 to the Caprilli race course on race days.
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 buildings to be seen, dating from medieval times to the 19th century.
Out of town, head south of Livorno for some pleasant seafront walks, the attractive districts of Ardenza and Antignano, and the hillside village of Montenero with spectacular views over the city. All are just a bus ride away.
South to Montenero - the Sanctuary on the hill
the Sanctuary of MonteneroAbout five miles to the south of the city of Livorno lies the hillside village of Montenero and the sanctuary that attracts countless visitors throughout the year.
It is well worth visiting for the views over the city and the
View from Montenero over the city of Livorno coastline, and for the interesting sanctuary which grew up around the sacred image of the Madonna di Montenero, brought here by a shepherd in the 14th century. The present building dates from the 18th century.
The Central Food Market in Livorno
Central Market - fresh fish stallsLivorno'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 English Cemetery in Via Verdi, Livorno
One of the Tombstones in the Monumental Cimitero degli Inglesi in Via VerdiKnown in Livorno as the Cimitero degli Inglesi, or the 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 people buried in the cemetery were protestants of various nationalities who were living or staying in Livorno during the 17th, 18th and first part of the 19th century. In 1840 the cemetery was closed down following the expansion of the city walls, and a new ‘English’ cemetery was opened outside the walls (Via Pera).
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