Thursday, August 20, 2009

Narrow Streets, Long Names

Plaque of via degli Archi, Arches Street, Livorno“Via degli Archi” (Archways Street) is one of the strangest street in Livorno because it passes through a building. The many signs warn you of limits in width, height, speed and obviously parking.Plaque of via Nardini Despotti Mospignotti, LivornoBesides a quite narrow street we have a couple of very long names: in “Via A. Nardini Despotti Mospignotti” they shortened the name Aristide to avoid having to use a longer plaque.Plaque of via Pietro Coccoluto Ferrigni, Yorick, LivornoThat was unavoidable with “Via Pietro Coccoluto Ferrigni” called “Yorick”, which is the street where my old elementary school still is, near the Green Gas Station.

See also: Anchovies Street - Low and Dark

23 comments:

Wolynski said...

Livorno is gorgeous, but then so is all of Italy, and made better by your wonderful photos. I had to look it up on the map - appears to be on the same stretch of coast as Portofino.

Despotti - they named a street after despots?

Nori Katayama said...

Nice!
Someone must be waiting for me at the dead-end.

brattcat said...

When you arrange to meet someone on the street do you use the entire name?

Gunn said...

"Bravo" to all the people who can do perfect reading ...
It sounds nice..... I have read it a few times. ;-)
Perhaps "via Pietro".....is ok to say for us instead of the hole name???

VP said...

@ brattcat - Good question. In the first case we would say “Via Nardini”, but unfortunately there is another “Via Nardini” in town, so we must add the name.
In the second case we agree on a simpler “Via Ferrigni”.

B SQUARED said...

I wonder how man careless drivers slam into the narrow opening?

Halcyon said...

Strange streets are just part of the old world charm!

Lowell said...

Simply wonderful, VP! I mean a street that goes through a building? Where else would you find such a thing?

And it really is a street, not just an alleyway!

Love the long names, too. I can just hear the conversation...

"Yes, I went to school on Pietro..."

"Okay, that's enough. I know the place!"

Heh. Heh.

crocrodyl said...

Hehe funny:)

Ellie said...

Interesting - I saw a picture of a street next to my elementary school in Bulgaria yesterday. Amazing how those streets have some extra emotional energy to it - may be because we had a chance to observe them through the eyes of a curious kid noticing details that grown-ups miss :) I wouldn't let any street to go through my house - I wold fight the intruder :)

Un regard offert said...

Merci de nous partager votre regard sur la ville

James said...

That's really interesting and reminds me of a very narrow long named street that I saw in Paris called "Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche"

cieldequimper said...

Despotti as in French dèspote ?!

Frank said...

The passageway is so cool. Although they are all over Europe there are very few in the US. Great shots.

tapirgal said...

I wonder how anyone is supposed to know that A. means Aristide? Maybe the guy is famous in Livorno. I love these strange signs, and they look nice, at least in your photos. I also love the way streets go right through the buildings, maybe more in Europe than here. And Yorick, is what? A nickname for this guy? Funny signs.

Cezar and Léia said...

wow so many details in this post!Very interesting dear friend!
Léia

joo said...

I love this street - I mean this one which goes throuh building.
The names are interesting, wow it would take time to tell where you want to go:)

stromsjo said...

Impressive long names. What amount of points would those give when playing Scrabble ?

Hilda said...

I hope that's not a two way street! And it's fun trying to say the long, long names! :)

Baruch said...

A street that runs through a building. How unusual is that!

Tash said...

Cool stuff.
I like that your elementary school is still there. I recently found a web page for the school in Pula, Croatia where I finished 1st grade - what a thrill. They renovated a bit but I still remember the building enterance.

Copenhagen said...

They sure are long names:)

margaret said...

I like ho you've incorporated the urban clutter.