Sailing in the Sun

A beautiful day, the sea in front of the Terrazza Mascagni.

See also: Terrazza Mascagni

Lake Bench

In “Villa Fabbricotti”, a local park, this is the normal condition of the benches after heavy rains. The seat is almost dry, but absolutely beyond reach of any human without waterproof rubber boots.

Neptune and the Nereids

Rome, Naples, Bologna, Florence: all of them have a Fountain of Neptune, so a wealthy and enterprising Livornese decided that we had to have one too. Built in 1934, the fountain was then placed in a square now named after Giuseppe Emanuele Modigliani, the serious brother of the bohémien painter Amedeo.
The King of the Sea brandishes his trident, a quartet of lactating Nereids keeps him company along with a posse of various kinds of fishes, all of them happily sprinkling water around.

Versione italiana

Window in Green

This beautiful window faces a square officially named “Piazza della Vittoria” (Victory Square). Anyway, if you ever come to Livorno, don't ask for it because, after 80 years, everybody still call it with its old name: “Piazza Magenta”.

Lighthouse & Lamp Posts

Three lamp posts and and the “fanale” few days ago, when the weather was better...

See also: Beacon of the Pisans

Three Little Owls

A newspaper billboard is called in italian “civetta”, which is literally little owl, but also means coquette, flirt or tease. So these devices are commonly referred as "civette" because their purpose is to entice the passer-by into buying the actual paper.
“La Nazione” (The Nation), a florentine newspaper with a local news desk, is the oldest of the three: its first number made its appearance in 1859. It has a moderate conservative political line.
“Il Telegrafo” (The Telegraph) was born a moderate voice in 1877, switching to a more leftist point of view after the last war.
After several changes of heading, in 1976 became “Il Tirreno” for good. Edited and printed in Livorno it has the largest circulation and is a sort of local newspaper of record, extensively quoted in any conversation.
The “Corriere di Livorno” (Messenger of Livorno) issued its first copy only in September 2007. Its editorial offices are in “Piazza Attias”, just across the street from the above owls, and is co-owned by a local soccer star.

See also: Bad News

Chamber of Commerce

The majestic building of the “Camera di Commercio” (Chamber of Commerce) was built in 1648 as a Customs House by Annibale Cecchi of Pistoia. It faces what is now “Piazza del Municipio” (Town Hall Square) and has an imposing portico, with three arches supported by rusticated sandstone pillars, closed by iron gates.If you compare the above photo with the same building in this print by the painter Giuseppe Maria Terreni (Livorno, 1739-1811), dating back to circa 1785, you can see no major differences after so many years.