Livorno, founded in the second half of the 16th century, preserves numerous evidences of the foreign “Nations” that contributed to its development, such as religious buildings, palaces, historical cemeteries and gastronomy.
Since 1500, this unique and original history has characterized Livorno as an open and welcoming city — a meeting point for different religions and traditions. The Old Fortress guards the port, with its imposing Mastio di Matilde (Matilde’s Keep), connected by canals to the New Fortress, the heart of the city centre.
The peculiar and colourful district of Venice, built in the 17th century, still retains its original features: the Fossi Medicei, a dense network of navigable canals that connected warehouses and merchants’ houses, which had (and still have) foundations and entrances on the water, as in Venice. Along Via Borra it is still possible to admire the very elegant architecture of the district.
Lapped by the sea, which, through the Canali Medicei, enters as far as the historic districts of the city, Livorno has the unique charm of a Tuscan territory that reaches out into the Mediterranean. The history, traditions and culture, the blazing sunsets, the clear and fragrant air, the sea sports and the gastronomic traditions: everything speaks of the relationship between Livorno and the water.
