Via del Fagiano

Some really wild urban green seen through the window of an abandoned building in “Via del Fagiano”.Same street, a curious and repeating pattern of ventilation holes of an utilities cabinet.

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Liberty of the Seas

All the cruise ships calling at the port of Livorno usually arrive in the early morning and leave in the late afternoon for another night of sailing. Some passengers are watching from their balconies during the departure of the “Liberty of the Seas”.The 339-meter ship, which carries 3600 passengers and a crew of 1300, is owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International.The tug “Francesca Neri” is escorting the “Liberty of the Seas” beyond the entrance of the port.

See also: Celebrity Solstice
External links: MS Liberty of the Seas - Royal Caribbean International
Search labels: cruise ship - tug

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666 & No Cops

Clearly this is not a Clet Abraham's work, perhaps somebody wrote the Number of the Beast on a traffic sign... with stickers!This “No Cops” is less diabolic, but slightly more disturbing.

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Steamhip in Port

Another of the new planters in “Piazza Attias”, decorated with a reproduction of “Vapore nel porto” (Steamhip in port) by the Livornese painter Mario Puccini.

“Vapore nel porto” (Steamhip in port, 1915) by Mario Puccini

See also: Piazza Attias - The Big Red A - The New Attias - The Red Tower - Lungomare di Antignano - Six Months

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The Waters of Health

A not-so-subtle way of alluding to the curative powers of the “Acque della Salute” (Waters of Health).A panoramic view of the thermal baths in 1912.

(Postcards digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

Search labels: spa - postcard

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Certificates

The Municipality of Livorno is proudly announcing that you can get your certificates on line, but the Count of Cavour looks perplexed...
In Italy a “certificato” is an official-looking piece of paper which, usually but not always, states something related to an individual for the use of a third part. In this post we are speaking of documents issued by a municipality, so you may have a “certificato di residenza”, stating the exact address where you live or a “stato di famiglia”, listing all the cohabiting components of your family. You can even ask for a “certificato di esistenza in vita” which states that you are still alive, which may sound quite funny, but this obviously redundant piece of paper is sometimes needed when you are receiving a pension.

See also: Cavour - Piazza Cavour
External links: Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour (Wikipedia)

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Six Chairs, Three Tables

Chairs and tables on the sidewalk of “Via Magenta” for the newly opened “La stüa”.

See also : La stüa

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Guitars, at Last!

At last, an assortment of guitars built by our versatile luthiers.From left to right: a Dreadnought acoustic guitar by Ivano Colombini, a hollow-body electric guitar and a jazz guitar by Furio Sciumbata, a classical guitar by Simone Coloretti and one by Ivano Colombini.Electric bass and guitar by Ivano Colombini.

See also: Lutherie Workshop - Cuatro, Clàrsach & Dulcimer
External links: Dreadnought - Classical guitar - Electric guitar (Wikipedia)
Contacts: Centro di ricerca e pratica musicale (Lutherie Workshop) - f.sciumbata@alice.it

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Four Tugs

The tug boat “Piero Neri” is assisting the 240-meter tanker “Seaborne” during the mooring operations.Three more tugs were taking part in the maneuver: the “Alfredo Neri” and the “Porto Baratti” are both visible on the left. On the right, the “Francesca Neri” is framed by the bow of the cruise ship “Sovereign”.

See also: Piero Neri - Alfredo Neri
Search labels: tug

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Peace Car

A “peace car” parked outside the “Fortezza Vecchia” (Old Fortress).

See also: Fortezza Vecchia

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Cuatro, Clàrsach & Dulcimer

I hope you will enjoy some more unusual instruments built from our gentleman luthier Furio Sciumbata.

A Venezuelan cuatro

A Clàrsach

An Appalachian dulcimer

See also: Lutherie Workshop - Guitars, at Last!
External links: Venezuelan cuatro - Clàrsach - Appalachian dulcimer (Wikipedia)
Contacts: Centro di ricerca e pratica musicale (Lutherie Workshop) - f.sciumbata@alice.it

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For Mother Earth

Looking at the ad on the Segways I was probably a bit too quick in translating “Per Madre Terra” as “For Mother Earth”. In Italian “Terra” with the uppercase initial is the planet and a lowercase “terra” may be both land and soil.

External links: Per Madre Terra (In Italian)

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Lutherie Workshop

For three days an exhibition called “Per Madre Terra” (For Mother Earth) is taking place in the Fortezza Vecchia (Old Fortress). From my point of view the most interesting stand is the one about lutherie of a friend of mine and former colleague.
Furio Sciumbata is a hobbyist, but also an absolutely expert luthier and guitar maker who has organized a lutherie workshop in town. All the instruments shown today are from his personal production.

A hurdy gurdy

A rebec

A citole

See also: Cuatro, Clàrsach & Dulcimer - Guitars, at Last!
External links: Hurdy gurdy - Rebec - Citole (Wikipedia)
Contacts: Centro di ricerca e pratica musicale (Lutherie Workshop) - f.sciumbata@alice.it

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Bicycles with a View

Locked bicycles with a view over a bend of the canal. (“Via della Madonna” / “Scali del Pesce”)

Search labels: bicycle art
External links: Bicycle Art

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Shaving Weeds

The stone walls of the “Fosso Reale” are being “shaved” to clean them from the luxuriant weeds.

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Noah's Ark

An “Arca di Noè” (Noah's Ark) ready for the next Great Flood.

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Tazzari & Twizy

A Tazzari Zero electric car parked outside the Tuttovela village.A Renault Twizy on display at the Tuttovela village. (Pictures taken last April)

External links: Tazzari Zero - Renault Twizy (Wikipedia) - Tazzari Zero (Official website)

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Corner Buildings

Towards its “Piazza Cavour” end, “Via Ricasoli” is cut by two diagonal streets and this makes for two interesting corner buildings: one on the side of “Via Sardi” ...... and another on the side of “Via delle Bandiere”.

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Fontana del Duomo

For a few years, until the destruction of the Cathedral during the WWII air raids, a monumental fountain graced the outside of the apse, in what was the “Largo del Littorio” and now is “Largo Duomo”. It was built in 1929 for the “Istituto Nazionale Immobiliare” on a design by Gino Cipriani and G. Macchia.

(Postcards digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

I am sorry I didn't visit your blogs during our stay in Rome, but my aging laptop sternly refused to go wireless through my new Internet key modem.

Search labels: postcard

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Red Nets

Bright red nets and yellow buoys, I guess fishes don't have a really good sight...
In the afternoon we will be back home from Rome.

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La stüa

The word stüa is not Italian but Ladin, a language still spoken in some parts of Northern Italy. It literally means stove, but up North the word was often used for a wood-panelled dining room where the stove was.

Wine makes good blood...
Water makes legs trembling
“La stüa” Inn
Next opening

External links: Ladin language (Wikipedia) - Stüa

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Largo Christian Bartoli

On January 19, 1998, 17-years-old Christian Bartoli died for a ruptured aneurysm after two days of intensive care. His parents chose to donate his organs, changing forever the lives of those who received them. In 1999 a small square near the “Tre Ponti” (Three Bridges) beach was named after him.

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Red Stripe

The so-called Racing Stripe originates from an idea of President John F. Kennedy, who wished to improve the world-wide visual identification of the U.S. government. In 1964 the new stripe was proposed in application of this directive and was first used on USCG boats in 1967, becoming an international standard in a few decades.

The 10-meter 34-knot CP 554 in the Porto Mediceo

The USCGC “Bainbridge Island” (WPB-1343) in the New York Harbor

The French patrol boat P675 “Arago” at the Capitaneria pier

See also: Piaggio P166 - Coast Guard - Calm Waters - CP 867 & Nataly - CP 867 - CP 866 - CP 409 Ingianni
External links: Traditions of the United States Coast Guard

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Modigliani Brothers

The bust of the respected politician Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani and the one of his brother, the world famous painter Amedeo Modigliani, are placed on different sides of the “Villa Fabbricotti” building. For once, we are pleased to reunite them...

Search labels: Modigliani
See also: Modigliani's Heads - Amedeo Modigliani - Modigliani's Tomb - Modigliani in Paris
External links: Amedeo Modigliani (Wikipedia)

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To Civilian Victims of War

The monument dedicated “Ai caduti civili di guerra” (To civilian victims of war) in “Via Fiume”. The stele, by Dino Bovecchi on a design by Vitaliano De Angelis, was erected in 1965 to honor the civilian victims of deportation, forced labor and air raids.

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Bronze Spheres

One of the four bronze spheres of the obelisk of “Piazza Mazzini”. As you can easily see from the cracks and the erosion, the main problem with this stele is that it was made of friable sandstone.Many ancient obelisks are still around in quite good shape after thousands of years, but they were usually carved from a single block of red granite, a much harder and durable stone.This could reinforce the speculation that it was built with recycled stones from the other steles.

(1911 postcard digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

See also: The Two Towers - Fonte Guglia?
Search labels: postcard

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Self-Portrait

Self-portrait in a brass door knob in “Via Ricasoli”. This must be one of the best polished door handles in town, because it has been already used for a 2010 Theme-Day post.

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All That Remains

This chained wheel is all that remains of the second entry of our Bicycle Art gallery.
Looking for some real art, we are leaving today for a few days in Rome.

Search labels: bicycle art
External links: Bicycle Art

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Lantern of the Dome

The lantern of the dome of “Santa Maria del Soccorso” in “Piazza della Vittoria”.

See also: Santa Maria del Soccorso

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Alessandro Neri

A tugboat like the “Alessandro Neri” may look outsized by huge container ships but it is still quite imposing against a few rowboats.

Search labels: tug

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Planes, Boats & Water Scooters

The models of an ATR 42 MP and two patrol boats of the “Guardia Costiera” (Coast Guard) on display at the Tuttovela village.A real water scooter of the “Polizia di Stato” (National Police).

Search labels: TAN - Tuttovela
External links: Coast Guard - Polizia di Stato (Wikipedia)

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