Obelisk

One of the two small obelisks decorating the loggia of Palazzo San Sebastiano, in Largo del Duomo.

See also: Palazzo San Sebastiano

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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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Fonte Guglia?

It is not clear if this truncated stele is part of what was once called “Fonte Guglia” (Spire Fountain), whose collocation was however elsewhere, at the corner of “Via delle Spianate” (now “Corso Mazzini”) with “Borgo dei Cappuccini”. The obelisk has already lost its top some time ago due to stability problems.In a view of Livorno from L'Italie à vol d'Oiseau (A bird's eye view of Italy) by Alfred Guesdon (circa 1850) you can easily spot the pristine obelisk at the right end of the green area. It was probably built in the 1830s with parts from other steles, formerly used to delimitate the area around the old city walls where building was not allowed.A postcard showing “Piazza Mazzini” in 1911, now full of young trees, with the obelisk visible on the right.

(Postcard digitized from the collection of Antonio Cantelli)

See also: The Two Towers
Search labels: postcard

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Barriera Garibaldi

Opened in 1837, the “Barriera Fiorentina” (Florentine Barrier) was the first passage built in the new Leopoldine Walls. It was a barrier and not a gate because, placed on the main road, it was open even at night.On the city side, in a traffic island, stands an obelisk dedicated to Leopold II of Tuscany. People call it “la guglia”, or the spire.Facing out, two decorated pediments stand on top of each building on the sides of the barrier. “Barriera Fiorentina” became “Barriera Garibaldi” in 1889, but the neighbouring zone is still commonly called “Fiorentina”.This is the usual location of the Sant'Antonino Fair.

See also: Leopoldine Walls - Sant'Antonino Fair
External links: Leopold II of Tuscany (Wikipedia)

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