Description of the attraction
Villa Letizia, also known as Villa Poniatowski, is one of the oldest buildings in Livorno, located on the outskirts of the Ardenza quarter near the Federico Caprilli racecourse.
In the first half of the 19th century, Prince Svyatoslav Poniatovsky ordered the construction of a villa in Livorno for his sons, Carlo and Giuseppe. Later, the luxurious residence passed to the Vitelleschi family, and even later to David Bondi, who completely restored it in the 1870s, adding several rooms, redesigning the garden and erecting an octagonal tower that resembled the famous Torre del Marzocco in shape. In 1888, the villa was inherited by Esther Cave, Bondi's widow and daughter of a Jewish merchant from Livorno.
At the end of the 19th century, the northern part of the estate was converted into a racetrack (the same racetrack of Federico Caprilli), and the villa itself became the property of the heirs of the Cave-Bondi family, who owned it until 1925. The residence was then sold to the Milanese real estate concern Letizia. In 1934, after a period of abandonment and decline, the building was turned into a summer college, and at the beginning of the 21st century, the Leonardo da Vinci school was housed in a carefully restored villa.
The imposing structure, hidden among dense Mediterranean vegetation, is enclosed by a trellis. The entrance is located on the south side. An elegant belvedere with a loggia attracts attention here, although it is not in the best condition. A Tuscan-style staircase can be seen at the façade. The villa itself is in the shape of a rectangle framed by two small symmetrical annexes. The southern facade, facing the park, is notable for a number of window openings and a balcony in the center of the second floor.
