Seeking out Local Arts and Crafts in Livorno

Away from Livorno’s main shopping centre, in places that you would probably never find by accident, there are a number of small shops and workshops where some very creative Livornese ladies spend their time channelling their artistic energies into making a surprising variety of highly original handmade objects. These inspirational objects include individual hand-painted ceramics, cleverly printed photographic images, and exclusively designed hats and clothing.  Read more about these resourceful ladies here, and if you like what you see, you could look them up when you come to Livorno.

Umbrellas for sale at the Friday MarketEvery Friday, from about 8.30am to 1.30pm there is a huge open-air market on Via dei Pensieri, starting at the football stadium. The stalls come from all over Tuscany and sell mainly clothes and shoes, bags, fabrics and soft furnishings, plants and flowers, as well as a few dedicated to fruit and veg, fresh fish, ready cooked chickens and chips, bakery products and some excellent cheeses. If you are good at bargain hunting and don't mind the crush, there are some good buys to be found, especially well-known fashion labels' clearance goods on some stalls.