Works Have Started

Restoration works have started at the Dutch church. The area has been cleaned up from weeds and the old rusty scaffolding has been removed: quite a difference from a month ago.

See also: Dutch church - A Good Start - Theme Day: Rust and Ruins
External links: Temple of the Dutch German Congregation (Wikipedia)
Search labels: Dutch church

Versione italiana

Buca del Grano

For the first time I can show you a “buca del grano” (grain pit), a bricked interred silo of sorts, where once the grain was stored. There were many around here, and the place is still called “Piazza dei Grani” (Square of the Grains). Until last week the pit was covered by wild vegetation and completely hidden. It has been like that for four years...

Just behind the skylight we can see the Scalo Regio: this was once the original entrance to the Porta del Duca, the main gate of the Fortezza Vecchia, on the other side of the canal. Then, a boat was towed back and forth to access the fortress, today the entrance is on the other side. It seems that a movable footbridge will be soon built here.

See also: Fortezza Vecchia - Piazza dei Grani - Scalo Regio - Porta del Duca
Search labels: Fortezza Vecchia

Versione italiana

Livorno Superstar

Marco Sisi is an experienced video editor at RAI, Italy's national public broadcasting company, and a professional video maker. He is also a passionate cinephile and a few years ago he published an interesting book about Livorno in the movies: “Livorno superstar. La mia città dentro il cinema”.

He made this incredible short video, a montage of clips from almost every movie shot in Livorno. There is also a longer and more complete version, practically a documentary with interviews, which you can find here.

External links: RAI (Wikipedia) - Livorno superstar. La mia città dentro il cinema (Amazon)

Versione italiana

Palazzo Gragnani

Palazzo Gragnani is often called Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace) for the brick-layered facade. It was built around 1840 in what is now Piazza Cavour by the architect Innocenzo Gragnani. The facade has a ground floor of rusticated stone, while the ornamental columns on the other floors, called pilasters, show the three distinct orders of Ancient Greek architecture: Doric capitals on the first floor, Ionic and Corinthian on the and second and third floors. On the back of the building, guarding a gate, there are the two Sphinxes of Livorno.

See also: Palazzo Rosso - Piazza Cavour - Capitals - The Sphinx of Livorno
External links: Pilaster (Wikipedia)

Versione italiana

The Vain Cat

It was late afternoon in Via della Meridiana (Sundial Street) when I met this cat: he wasn't in a hurry and also took some time to pose for me just in the middle of the street.

Search labels: cat

Versione italiana

More Kites

A few more kites from the “Aquiloni in Festa” festival: here is a flying village.

Not too colorful, but it was surely eye-catching.

This kite was surely my favorite of the set.

See also: Terrazza Mascagni - Aquiloni in Festa
Search labels: Terrazza Mascagni

Versione italiana

Theme Day: Movement

There is a lot of movement in Livorno: cars, scooters, bicycles... The city is even ruled by a movement! My favorite kind is obviously on the water, so I am showing you a boat of the “Gruppo Ormeggiatori Barcaioli” (Boatmen and Mooring Services) of the port of Livorno.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Versione italiana