|
Norwegian Jade Cruise PhotosFrom: Norwegian Jade Cruise Review
Day 9: Livorno, Italy (2)
We headed out of downtown, passing the monument of the Quattro Mori (Four Moors). Contrary to what you might guess, the figures in chains don't represent slavery; They symbolize the victory of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany over pirates who roamed the Mediterranean in the 16th Century.
On the outskirts of downtown, just beyond the Quattro Mori monument, we reached Livorno's Fortezza Vecchia or Old Fort. According to a sign nearby, the Old Fort is "the symbol of Medicean Livorno." It was built between 1521 and 1534 and included a palace for Cosimo, the first Grand Dukes of Tuscany. Later, in the 19th Century, the fortezza became a jail for criminals and political prisoners.
From this angle, you can see how close the port is to the
city center. (Unfortunately, you can't walk to or from your ship.)
We were intrigued by the pedestrian bridge leading to the Fortezza Vecchia. (The fort was closed during our Sunday visit, and a portion of the bridge deck was retracted to let boats enter the yacht harbor from Livorno's canals.)
We followed the canal to the
Quartiere Venezia or
Venice Quarter.
The quarter was a pleasant area of the city with boat moorings and apartment houses overlooking the water.
It did look a bit like Venice, except for the parked cars along the quays.
The district's canals were livelier than the streets above, with pleasure boats cruising through the canals on their way to the Porto Mediceo and the sea.
Canalside bars offered refreshment to Italians and visiting Englishmen.
Another tavern's sign paid homage to Historic Route 66 in the American Southwest.
We continued walking until we reached Livorno's other name-brand ruin, the Fortezza Nuova or New Fort, which dates to the turn of the 17th Century.
Inside the fortress entrance, there wasn't much to see except for the heavy brick walls that had survived bombardment by the Allies in World War II.
We had mental images of Enid Blyton's The Famous Five adventure novels as we followed a tunnel into the castle depths.
The tunnel led to a public park on the ramparts of the fortress.
From the ramparts, we could look out on the Piazza della Repubblica, which was on the other side of a canal and moat that surrounded the fortezza.
A young woman exercised her dog in the park, and an older couple exercised their Second Amendment rghts.
On the way out of the Fortezza Nuova, we encountered thick walls, a cat, and a couple with a thirsty dog.
A footbridge led us into Livorno's largest square, the Piazza della Repubblica., which was dominated by a statue of Ferdinando III (the Grand Duke of Tuscany two centuries ago).
Following Ferdinand's example, we took pictures of ourselves to honor our modest contribution to the history of Tuscany. (Snapshots are cheaper than statues.) We then tried to follow a canal around the eastern border of the town center, and that fruitless attempt led to our next series of photos, which we've titled "Lost in Livorno."
|
| Europe for Visitors - Home | | Contact information, disclosures, audience | Copyright © 1996-2024 Durant and Cheryl Imboden. All rights reserved. |