Scuola Elementare Montenero

A “mural” of ceramic tiles dated 1961 on the wall of the Montenero Elementary School.

Versione italiana

Greetings from Livorno #4

“From the Queen of the Tyrrhenian protected by Mary, from the hill of Montenero, greetings and wishes”	“The Blessed Virgin will guide, protect and bless you.”

(Postcards digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

See also: Greetings from Livorno - Greetings from Livorno #2 - Greetings from Livorno #3 - The Lighthouse - Sanctuary of Montenero
Search labels: postcard

Versione italiana

Apuan Alps

This is one of a few photos I shot from the panoramic terrace in Montenero, where we can see the northeast part of Livorno. About in the middle, from left to right, you can see the yellow cranes of the cargo port, the wooded area of Tombolo and, just above it, Marina di Pisa, at the mouth of the Arno river. Far away the imposing Apuan Alps.

See also: Montenero
External links: Apuan Alps (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

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

Versione italiana

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

Versione italiana

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

Versione italiana

Via di Montenero

An interesting building in Via di Montenero...

... and a century-old postcard with a view of the same street.

(Postcard digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Funicolare - Sagrato - Famedio - Piazza del Santuario
Search labels: postcard

Versione italiana

Nativity Scene on the Parvis

Unfortunately, we are a bit late in showing you this nativity scene on the parvis of the Sanctuary of Montenero.

See also: Nativity Scene - Christmas in Florence
Exernal links: Sanctuary of Montenero (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

Befana

Today is the feast of the Epiphany and we have found a real “Befana” for you in Montenero!

External links: Befana - Epiphany (Wikipedia)
See also: Montenero

Versione italiana

Piazza del Santuario

A recent view of Piazza del Santuario in Montenero

Piazza del Santuario in a 1942 postcard

Piazza del Santuario in a 1937 postcard

(Postcards digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

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

Versione italiana

Agustín de Iturbide

We have already seen the elaborate Coat of Arms of Mexico in another post, but the Mexican flag has another link with Livorno, well beyond the annual ceremony of the Foreign Navies during the TAN.The actual flag of Mexico took its distinctive, if slightly different, form as the flag of the First Mexican Empire and was designed in 1821 by the future emperor himself: Agustín de Iturbide.
Augustine I of Mexico was deposed in 1823 and, as other emperors did before him, chose an exile in Tuscany. He rented a small country house in Livorno where he lived with his family and some servants, writing his memoirs.Spain continued to pressure the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to expel Iturbide, who finally moved to Great Britain, where he was able to publish his memories.
After his departure, the situation in Mexico continued to worsen and Iturbide was convinced to return home. He arrived on 14 July 1824 and was initially greeted enthusiastically, but soon he was arrested, tried and sentenced to death. Iturbide was executed by firing squad on 19 July 1824.In Montenero he is rememberend by a plaque in Spanish and Italian placed on the wall of the Sanctuary, where he used to pray.

See also: The Legend of Tenochtitlan
External links: Flag of Mexico - Agustín de Iturbide (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

Blessed Karol

On 19 March 1982 Pope John Paul II made a pastoral visit to the Diocese of Livorno, celebrating a open-air Holy Mass in “Piazza della Repubblica” and visiting the Sanctuary of Montenero.Last summer we saw this image of the now Blessed Karol Wojtyła behind an altar erected just outside the Basilica, on the parvis of the Sanctuary.Let us render a modest homage to Pope John Paul the Great, the day after his beatification.

See also: Piazza della Repubblica - Sanctuary of Montenero
Beatification and canonisation of Pope John Paul II (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

Railings

Montenero, on the side of a hill, it is full of railings of many types.Some railings, plain and modern, climb up the hill.Others, ornate and older, guard balconies and terraced grounds.

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Villa Azzurra
Funicolare - Sagrato - Famedio

Versione italiana

Famedio

On the right side of the “sagrato” of the Sanctuary of Montenero there there are the gated porches of the “Famedio”.“Famedio” literally means temple of the fame and is the place where the more notable Livornesi are buried.Here are the tombs of Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi, Carlo Bini, Enrico Pollastrini, Giovanni Fattori and Paolo Emilio Demi.Two plaques remember Amedeo Modigliani and Pietro Mascagni, buried respectively in Paris and in the Misericordia cemetery of Livorno.

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Villa Azzurra - Funicolare - Sagrato - Piazza del Santuario
External links: Pietro Mascagni - Amedeo Modigliani - Giovanni Fattori - Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi - Enrico Pollastrini (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

Sagrato

In “Piazza di Montenero” few steps divide the secular part of the square from the “sagrato”, which is the consecrated space in front of a church. On a facade we can see a statue of Pope John Paul II by Antonio Vinciguerra, placed as a memento of the pastoral visit to Livorno and the Sanctuary in 1982.The old sign says:

In this centuries-old hall
the faith and the pity of the people
do not allow
disgraceful behaviors
disturbances, games
unnecessary noises

Once the now covered well of the Sanctuary was located here.

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Villa Azzurra - Funicolare - Famedio - Piazza del Santuario
External links: Pope John Paul II (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

Funicolare

From “Piazza delle Carrozze” (Carriages Square) the “funicolare” (funicular) carries you almost at the top of the hill of Montenero, where you can visit the Sanctuary of “Santa Maria delle Grazie” or simply enjoy the beautiful view from the panoramic terrace.The service of the “Funicolare di Montenero” started in 1908, but it has been renewed a few times since then.The funicular is now powered by a battery of solar panels.

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Villa Azzurra - Sagrato - Famedio - Piazza del Santuario

Versione italiana

Theme Day: Shadows

Clock and sundial of the Sanctuary of Montenero.

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

On the Road Again

On the road again to Montenero: this is not a mailbox of note, but the “complexity” of this composition seemed worthy of publication.
Tomorrow's will be our hundredth post and we should like to celebrate this modest achievement with a very “Livornese” story.

Mailbox

Fort Lauderdale Daily Photo is posting a funny series of unusual mailboxes. Here, with most of us living in apartment blocks, external mailboxes are not so common in urban areas.
The few I see around are usually a quite plain thing, with at least an exception on the road to Montenero.

Villa Azzurra

The picturesque “Villa Azzurra” is a Liberty style villa in Montenero built in the first years of 20th Century.
This is an update for this post, I just found this old postcard showing “Villa Azzurra” when it was called “Padiglione Bleu”.The roof was more ornate than now and had several “spires”, but the rest of the building is practically the same.

See also: Montenero - Sanctuary of Montenero - Funicolare - Sagrato - Famedio - Piazza del Santuario

Versione italiana