Districts of Livorno

Funicular railway in Montenero Situated on a hill to the south of Livorno, Montenero has been a destination for pilgrims since 1345, because of its Sanctuary dedicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie, also known as the Madonna di Montenero. Opposite the church is the ‘temple of fame’, closed in by a wrought iron gate, where several local figures are buried or remembered. These include the composer Pietro Mascagni, and artists Giovanni Fattori and Amedeo Modigliani. The Madonna delle Grazie is the Patron of Tuscany, but well-known throughout Italy.

Via Castelli, Pontino district The Pontino-San Marco district extends to the north-west of the city, bordering on the Venezia district.

Church of San Martino in Salviano, heavily restored The district of Salviano dates from the time of the Roman colonisation of the Pisan territory in the second century BC.

Monument to Benedetto Brin, founder of the Naval Academy. Statue by Raffaello Romanelli (1903)

The earliest records of a church in Livorno's San Jacopo district date from 1187. Its location next to a natural spring of freshwater gave the name Acquaviva to the area.

In subsequent centuries the monks purchased much of the surrounding land, which consisted of farmland, woods and areas of rocks and stones. Quarries grew up providing Livorno with building material.

The district of Shangay, originally called Torretta ('small tower'), lies to the north of Livorno’s city centre. The name 'Torretta' comes from the remains of an ancient tower which stood in the old Porto Pisano (the port of Pisa which was here before Livorno grew up), and in fact the district occupies much of Pisa’s ancient port area.

Sorgenti district, Livorno The Sorgenti district of Livorno lies between Via Provinciale Pisana, Viale Carducci and Viale Ippolito Nievo. The district grew up after WWII and takes its name from the Via delle Sorgenti ('of the springs') which crosses the district and continues east along the Colognole aqueduct.

Livorno Railway Station in the Stazione district The French involuntarily gave rise to the birth of the Stazione district of Livorno when they dominated the area in the early 1800s. They laid out the wide tree-lined avenue that now leads to the railway station, in order to welcome Napoleon. Unfortunately he never actually arrived, too busy in other more important matters on his return from Russia. Originally known as Viale Libertà, the avenue was later called degli Acquedotti, dei Condotti, Emilio Zola and finally Viale Giosuè Carducci as it is known today.

Bridge in the Venezia district

Construction of Livorno's Venezia district was begun in 1629 to allow for the expansion of the city's population. Plans for the new district were designed by Sienese architect Giovanni Battista Santi. Because of the canals, and the need to employ building techniques imported from Venice, the area came to be known as the 'Nuova Venezia' ('new Venice').