A friend let me have a look at this room inside the “Palazzo di Giustizia” (Courthouse) of Livorno. Some restoration works are still going on and it will be probably used as a conference room.
This was the Chapel of Saint Francis Xavier when these buildings were owned by the Company of Jesus. It was opened in 1707 and was used until 1773, when the Order was suppressed.
There was an external entrance from “Via della Madonna”, which is just outside the windows on the right side of the room.
This is the “Ponte di Marmo” (Marble Bridge). The quarter of New Venice was connected to the rest of Livorno by seven bridges crossing the various canals. Six are still in place, heavily restored or completely rebuilt. The missing one, the Crocetta (Small Cross) bridge, will be rebuilt with the works for the redigging of the interred canal of “Viale Caprera”, which is where we can see the bell tower of the church of “San Ferdinando”.
The “Ponte di Marmo” leads straight into “Via Borra” and takes its name from the white marble parapets and finishings.
From the other side of the bridge, just in the middle, we can see the back of the “Palazzo Comunale” (Town Hall).
“Via Borra” is named after Marco Alessandro Del Borro, Governor of Livorno from 1678 to 1701. Under his rule the “Fortezza Nuova” was reduced in size with the creation of the new quarter of “Venezia Nuova” (New Venice).
The elegant street crosses the quarter flanked by some beautiful buildings. The “Palazzo delle Colonne di marmo” (Palace of the Marble Columns) was built around 1703 for Ottavio Gamberini, a merchant from Lucca. The architect was probably the renowned sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini (1652-1737). The last floor is clearly a later addition.
The facade is completely covered in Carrara marble, enriched by four pediments decorated with statues representing the seasons.
An ice rink is being built in “Piazza della Repubblica”, under the attentive eye of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
The 600 square meters (20x30 meters) covered ice arena will be open since November 21 until February 7 of the next year.
This is a recent tradition for the holiday season in Livorno, but after few years it is already quite popular.
This is the “Piero Neri”, the dancing tug of my “Lisbon Express” post, temporarily moored inside the “Porto Mediceo”.
You can easily see the massive bulk of the boat that usually looks deceptively tiny from afar, near even bigger ships.
In the last image the “Piero Neri” is escorting a ship, passing the lighthouse inside the “Curvilinea”. After seeing the “dancer”, I guess that a new dimension could be added to its numbers at sea...
While taking the photos posted in “Rough Seas” and “Lisbon Express”, I was distracted by a small flock of birds grounded by the strong wind.
They followed me scampering and hopping for short low flights around the benches of the Terrazza Mascagni, where they found some cover.
While the stronger seagulls feasted on their food carried ashore by the waves, these small creatures looked quite worried and sad.
The bad weather cut short my Sunday afternoon walk, but I caught these telling signs of a strong wind.
From the windows of my mom's, I shot this interesting way of parking, not unusual around here.
If anyone wonders why the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall doesn't cut any ice in Livorno...
