Round Window

A quite rare round window in Via Sgarallino / Via del Pastore.

Search labels: window

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The Knotted Gun

Please forgive me if I drop Livorno for a day: here we are in Paris and this is an amazing octopus above the entrance of the Institut océanographique (or Maison des océans), in rue Saint-Jacques. Until yesterday this photo was my most successful page online, visited several thousands of times.

It has just been surpassed by this photo of the sculpture “Non-Violence” by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, also known as “The Knotted Gun”, which is in New York City on the grounds of the United Nations Headquarters.

See also: Octopus - The Knotted Gun (Daily Photo Stream)
External links: Non-Violence - Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd - United Nations Headquarters (Wikipedia)
 - 25 of the Most Creative Sculptures and Statues from Around the World (Bored Panda)
 - This French doorway is obviously the beginning of the Cthulhian architecture movement (io9)

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February Cat

A cat inside the Porto Mediceo. By the way, it has been a while since the last time I saw our friend the grumpy cat...

See also: Watch Cat - The Grumpy Cat - Killer Gaze
Search labels: cat

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Mega Smeralda

The 168-meter ferry “Mega Smeralda” was built in 1985 by Wärtsilä at the New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland. She was christened as “MS Svea”, then became “Silja Karneval”, “Color Festival” and, since 2008, “Mega Smeralda”.

External links: MS Mega Smeralda (Wikipedia)
Search labels: ferry

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Speed Camera

Officers of the Polizia municipale (Municipal police) setting up a speed trap in Via Firenze.

External links: Municipal police - Speed limit enforcement (Wikipedia)

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Two Cannons

We have already seen our small dry dock at work and how it is closed by a caisson. What we haven't noticed before is that two old cannons were recycled on its sides as bollards.
We saw other cannons near the North Lighthouse and we will see a few more around the Porto Mediceo.

See also: Dry Dock - Numptia - Caisson - The North Lighthouse

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Blue Pavilion

The unusual architecture of “Villa Azzurra”, built in the first years of 1900 as “Blue Pavilion” in Montenero.

In this 1920 postcard of the Montenero funicular we can see on the right the even fancier original version of the same building.

See also: Villa Azzurra - Montenero

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Gulls and Radomes

A gull flying above the radomes of the yacht “Told U So”.

See also: Told U So
External links: Radome (Wikipedia)
Search labels: yacht - gull

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I Sette Tavoli

A Vespa decorated with flowers and hanging paintings outside the restaurant “Chez Renée” in Via San Jacopo in Acquaviva. The place is also known as “I Sette Tavoli” (The Seven Tables), because it really has only seven tables available for its customers.

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Italian Red Cross

A bas-relief outside the building of the local committee of the Italian Red Cross, at the corner of Via del Mare with Via della Gherardesca.

External links: Italian Red Cross (Wikipedia)

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Rio de Janeiro

Last Sunday, when I saw the container ship “Rio de Janeiro” leaving port, it was raining and I was quite far away.

As usual, the 286-meter passing ship dwarfed the pilot boat.

Search labels: pilot

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Great Crested Grebe

I caught this bird swimming in the Porto Mediceo. I was able to identify it as a great crested grebe only with the help of my legendary friend Stefano and his encyclopedic knowledge of animals and plants.

External links: Great crested grebe (Wikipedia)
Search labels: bird

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Palazzo Squilloni

The facade of the nineteenth-century Palazzo Squilloni and its main entrance is on Scali Cialdini.

The side of the building faces the Fosso Reale, along with the majestic Palazzo dell'Aquila Nera and the imposing Palazzo Maurogordato.

See also: Scali Cialdini - Black Eagle - Scali D'Azeglio - Reflected Eagle - On the Fosso Reale - Palazzo Maurogordato - Palazzo dell'Aquila Nera

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Funicular of Montenero

One of the two cars of the funicular of Montenero crossing Via del Governatore on a bridge.

The upper station and a car in a 1926 postcard.

(Postcard digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Villa Azzurra - Funicolare - Sagrato - Famedio - Piazza del Santuario
External links: Funicular (Wikipedia)
Search labels: postcard

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Seaside Lamp Post

Lamp post against a cloudy sky, seen from the Terrazza Mascagni.

See also: Terrazza Mascagni
Search labels: lamp post - Terrazza Mascagni

English version

Squirrels

We have already seen lions and poodles guarding gates, but in Via di Montenero we spotted a couple of squirrels.

See also: Lion and Poodles

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Old Stairs

The stairwell of a vintage building in Via Maggi.

See also: Via Maggi

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Told U So

The 45-meter “Told U So” was built in 2011 by Benetti as a custom creation of Molori Design. The ‘used’ one-owner yacht is now on sale for slightly less than 15.000.000 Euro,.

External links: Benetti (Wikipedia)
Search labels: yacht

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Athletic Club

The “Athletic Club” in Via Marradi: probably there aren't many gyms like this around...

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Cormorants

Last Sunday half a dozen cormorants were perched on the walls of the Fortezza Vecchia, between the Canaviglia and Ampolletta bastions.

If not common, they are becoming a less unusual presence even inside the Porto Mediceo.

See also: Miramare - The Cormorant - Cormorants on the Fortress
- Fortezza Vecchia - Canaviglia - Ampolletta
Search labels: bird

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Piazza delle Carrozze

The lower terminus of the funicular of Montenero in Piazza delle Carrozze.

The same building in a 1915 postcard.

(Postcard digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Villa Azzurra - Funicolare - Sagrato - Famedio - Piazza del Santuario
External links: Funicular (Wikipedia)
Search labels: postcard

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Rusty Railing

Detail of an balcony railing in Piazza San Jacopo in Acquaviva.

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Belforte

Four years ago the locally renowned “Belforte” bookstore moved from its historic premises in Via Grande to a nearby location in Via della Madonna. It didn't last, and the shop has moved again to a place in Via Roma, slightly outside the city center. The owner wrote on the shutters:

“Mi sono trasferito in via Roma 69, vi porto tutti nel cuore”
(I have moved to via Roma 69, I carry all of you in my heart)

“No Wi-Fi zone, parlate tra voi, che le parole sono importanti!”
(No Wi-Fi zone, talk to each other, because words are important)

See also: Belforte Bookstore - Pedestrian Zone

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Chimneys and Antennas

Chimneys, antennas and dormer windows on the roofs of Scali delle Cantine.

See also: Scali delle Cantine - Reflected - Pastel Colors - Fortress from the Sky - Dogs on the Roof - Two Dogs and a Gull

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CREI I

The 62-meter “CREI I” was built in 1978. She is a dredge, or a vessel that is used to excavate and remove material from the bottom of a body of water.

She can also be used for beach nourishment, digging fresh sand from the bottom of the sea and literally spraying it from afar on a depleted shoreline.

External links: Beach nourishment (Wikipedia)

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January Cat

The last time I visited the Fortezza Nuova was last January: the weather wasn't yet bad, and this cat was basking in the sun.

See also: The Cats of the Fortress - More Cats of the Fortress - Autumn Cats
- Fortezza Nuova (2009) - Fortress from the Sky (2012) - Welcome to the Fortress
Search labels: cat - Fortezza Nuova

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Reinforced Concrete

A group of buildings left unfinished for years on a plot of land between Viale Petrarca and Via Ferraris.

It seems that the construction works will begin again quite soon and that this has something to do with the next opening of the nearby Esselunga supermarket. (Pictures taken last December)

See also: Esselunga

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February's Theme Day

February's theme should be the answer to this question: “If you had to leave forever the city from which you usually post, what would you miss most?” A knee-jerk answer would be: “nothing”, but on a second thought I opted for my favorite spot at the entrance of the port. By the way, this is the 255-meter container ship “Tommi Ritscher”, escorted by the tugs “Alessandro Neri” and “C.te Contini”.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

See also: The Looming Tower - Alessandro Neri
External links: Port of Livorno (Pinterest)
Search labels: tug

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