PIUSS

PIUSS is an acronym for “Piano Integrato di Sviluppo Urbano Sostenibile” (Integrated Plan for Sustainable Urban Development), which is part of the V Axis of the POR CReO, or “Programma Operativo Regionale Competitività Regionale e Occupazione” (Regional Operational Programme Regional Competitiveness and Employment).

I didn't made this up: the works going on around the Dogana d'acqua are part of a PIUSS project, another one is what I have called a horror in plain view. This is a form of co-financing between public subjects which other cities use to fix parks or create pedestrian areas. We build strange new buildings around old ruins.

As you can see in this rendering of the project, we also insist in digging useless bodies of water in a city with a lot of potholed streets and too few parking areas. (The first picture was taken in August and the second in October)

See also: Scali Cerere Footbridge - Customs on the Water - Dogana d'acqua - Canale dei Navicelli - Leopoldine Walls
External links: Canale dei Navicelli (Wikipedia)

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Embraer E-195

An Air Dolomiti Embraer E-195 en route from Munich to Pisa, flying over the port of Livorno.

External links: Embraer E-Jet family - Air Dolomiti (Wikipedia)

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Mailmen's Building

I made up the name of this apartment building: it doesn't have a name, but it was built in Via San Giovanni in the early 1900s for the employees of what was then the Royal Italian Mail. It has an inner court and some interesting reliefs on the facade and also all around the top floor.

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One More Demonstration

One more demonstration for employment, this time organized by the major unions.

See also: Livorno Won't Give Up

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M/V Rita Schepers

We saw the container ship “Rita Schepers” last summer, while she was undergoing some maintenance works here in Livorno. After a few months she is back in service and in our port.

See also: Rita Schepers
External links: Port of Livorno (Pinterest)

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Winged Victory

This “Winged Victory”, by the sculptor Mario Carlesi, stands on the top of the monument to the soldiers fallen in World War I. The memorial was erected in 1925 in Piazza Magenta, which was then renamed Piazza della Vittoria (Victory Square). In background we can see the facade of the church of Santa Maria del Soccorso.

See also: Fallen - Piazza della Vittoria - Santa Maria del Soccorso

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Four Taps

A new drinking fountain with four taps in Piazza del Municipio. The body of the fountain was made from the base of an old lamp post and it is placed just behind the stop of the shuttle buses which carry cruise passengers in town. Now our guests will be able to quench their thirst, but there are still no public bathrooms available for them.

See also: Piazza del Municipio - A New Look - Without Water - Habemus aquam!

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Via De-Lardarelli

A building at the corner of Via de Larderel with Piazza della Repubblica. (Picture taken last August)

The same building visible in a 1913 postcard of Piazza Carlo Alberto, which was renamed Piazza della Repubblica (Republic Square) after the fall of the monarchy. Please note that Via de Larderel was funnily spelled as “Via De-Lardarelli”.

(Postcard digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

Search labels: postcard
See also: Piazza della Repubblica - Palazzo de Larderel

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Made of Cork

I spotted this little masterpiece half-hidden on a desk, at the entrance of “Naturalia”...

See also: Naturalia - Himalayan Salt Lamps - Teas and Infusions

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Irresistible Force

Bicycle rack in Via Pieroni.

Search labels: bicycle art
External links: Bicycle Art (Inspiration Green)

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The Reflected Gate

The entrance to the Fortezza Vecchia from the Molo del Soccorso is now closed by a modern gate, which appears reflected in the water of the Pamiglione.

See also: Fortezza Vecchia - Molo del Soccorso - The Window of the Fortress - Pamiglione - Old Harbor
Search labels: Fortezza Vecchia

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Matching Colors

A pilot boat speeds along the hull of the bulk carrier “Turgut Reis”. (Picture taken last August)

See also: Turgut Reis
External links: Port of Livorno (Pinterest)

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Teas and Infusions

I met this lady at “Naturalia”: she was selling teas and infusions, but I took her picture anyway.

See also: Naturalia - Himalayan Salt Lamps - Made of Cork

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Cinema Jolly

It was built in 1913 as “Salone Margherita”, but we always knew it as “Cinema Jolly”, the name probably changed after the war, when it became a quite popular cheap movie theater.

Its last incarnation was as an adult movie theater, when such a thing still existed.

The building has been closed and almost abandoned for a while, but it is now undergoing some refurbishing to transform it in a commercial space: a definite improvement, at least in this case.

Let us hope that at least some of the interesting decorations will be preserved.

Search labels: cinema

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Livorno Won't Give Up

Yesterday, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, a demonstration of thousands of people has crossed the center of Livorno, from Piazza della Vittoria to Piazza Cavallotti. They were protesting against the loss of jobs caused by a string of factory closures, which will have a severe impact on the already dire state of our city's economy.

Last October TRW Automotive, now owned by the German group ZF Friedrichshafen, has announced the closing of its plant in Livorno, with the layoff hundreds of workers. “Livorno non si piega” (Livorno won't give up) was one of the most repeated slogans during the demonstration.

External links: TRW Automotive - ZF Friedrichshafen (Wikipedia)

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Eurocopter EC155

An Eurocopter EC155 flying over the port of Livorno. (Picture taken last September)

External links: Eurocopter EC155 (Wikipedia)

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I Like You a Lot

Last August it was Yemanja, while in October it changed to this. Now it is a declaration of love of sorts: “Greta: ma te lo devo scrivere sui manifesti che mi garbi un casino??? Tommaso V.” (Greta: but have I to write it on posters that I like you a lot??? Tommaso V.)

See also: Yemanja - After Yemanja
Search labels: mural

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Himalayan Salt Lamps

“Naturalia” was not really my turf, but I saw a few things I almost liked: these lamps are carved from large crystals of Himalayan salt and have a light bulb inside.

External links: Himalayan salt (Wikipedia)
See also: Naturalia - Teas and Infusions - Made of Cork

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Sardinia Vera

The ferry “Sardinia Vera” maneuvering to enter the port.

At the stern some crew members are ready for the mooring operations.

External links: Port of Livorno (Pinterest)
Search labels: ferry

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Ready for the Facade

The new scaffolding now covers almost all the facade of the Dutch church.

See also: Dutch church - A Good Start - Works Have Started - The New Scaffolding
External links: Temple of the Dutch German Congregation (Wikipedia)
Search labels: Dutch church

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Naturalia

This weekend our cruise terminal, which is more a ferry terminal, hosted the fourth edition of “Naturalia”, an expo about “100% natural ideas”.

Feeling guilty because I have missed all the previous editions, I decided to have a look around the exhibition.

There was a red area for food, a blue area for health, a quite predictable green area for environment and a blue area for tourism.

See also: Himalayan Salt Lamps - Teas and Infusions - Made of Cork

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El Atlas Medici de Lorenzo Possi

We do not know much about Lorenzo Possi beyond that he was a military engineer who mostly worked at the service of the king of Spain. At the end of his career he was rewarded for his services, by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, with the title of commander of what is now the Fortezza Vecchia, in Livorno.

Here Possi prepared “Piante di Estremadura e Catalogna”, a detailed atlas describing, with plans and views, the fortifications he had contributed to build in the Iberian Peninsula.
After completing this work in 1687, he dedicated it to Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, the son of Cosimo III. The first printed and annotated edition of his book was presented last October in Spain by a group of scholars of the University of Extremadura, at Badajoz. The authors also used some pictures from our blog, with our permission. They were also so kind to send us a fresh copy of this wonderful book.

External links: El Atlas Medici de Lorenzo Possi - 1687 (4 Gatos, in Spanish)
- Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany - Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany (Wikipedia)
See also: Fortezza Vecchia

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Freshly-pruned Palm Trees

Freshly-pruned palm trees, Piazza della Fortezza Vecchia.

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Fiat 508 Balilla

The Fiat 508, better known as Balilla, was the first model of car in Italy affordable for the average person.

The 508 was small, lightweight and easy to drive: in 1937 Fiat produced over 110,000 Balillas.

(Pictures taken last April)

External links: Fiat 508 (Wikipedia)
Search labels: vintage car

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6 PM

A quiet moment at the “Porta a Mare” (Gate to the Sea) shopping center.

See also: A New Shopping Center

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HMS Falken

The 39-meter “Falken” is a sail training ship of the Swedish Navy, technically a schooner with a crew of fifteen.

She was built in 1947 at a shipyard in Stockholm, along with her sister ship “Gladan”, and carries up to 38 cadets.

The officers and the cadets of the “Falken” attended a reception at the Naval Academy of Livorno. The ship left the port on Friday evening in route to Ajaccio, in Corsica.

External links: Swedish Navy - Schooner - Italian Naval Academy (Wikipedia) - Port of Livorno (Pinterest)
Search labels: sailship

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Infinite Reflections

Scali del Vescovado: vandalized traffic mirrors or a symbolically introspective work of art?

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Four Angels

On the pendentives of the dome of the church of San Benedetto we can see four angels. The reliefs are the work of the local sculptor Paolo Emilio Demi (1798-1863), who is also the author of the monument to Leopold II of Tuscany in Piazza XX Settembre, just in front of the same church.

See also: San Benedetto - Leopold II of Tuscany
External links: Pendentive (Wikipedia) - Dante Alighieri (DPS)

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The New Bridge

The new footbridge is ready, but I doubt that we will be able to cross it normally any soon: what is the utility of it if the Fortezza Vecchia is always closed or it is open by appointment only?

Even the boat owners have been vocal in their opposition at this project, because a working bridge would be a gate of sorts between the canals where hey keep their boats and the sea.

See also: Assembling the Bridge - Waiting for the Bridge - Fortezza Vecchia - Piazza dei Grani - Scalo Regio - Porta del Duca
Search labels: Fortezza Vecchia

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Theme Day: Landmark

Our nicely restored lighthouse is surely a local landmark of note.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

See also: The Lighthouse - The Caged Lighthouse - On Top of the Lighthouse - The Fresnel Lens - Prevalida turris

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