Description of the attraction
Palazzo Maurogordato is a large structure located near Fosso Reale in Livorno. During the Second World War, it was seriously damaged, but, nevertheless, today it is considered one of the most significant structures erected on the banks of the Fosso Reale Canal. For many years (up to 2010), it housed the headquarters of the local branch of Italy's largest energy company, ENEL.
In the 1840s, an extensive redevelopment program of the city was developed in Livorno, the main task of which was the demolition of the medieval bastions that surrounded the city along the perimeter. In the course of the work, which was led by the architect Luigi Bettarini, a huge square was laid out on the Fosso Reale canal (now Piazza della Repubblica), and new residential areas were erected along the canal itself. Subsequently, the Greek merchant Giorgio Maurogordato bought a piece of land here and in 1856 commissioned the architect Giuseppe Cappellini to build the residence. Construction work was completed in 1864.
Cappellini, who was also the author of Levorno's Teatro Goldoni and Casini d'Ardenza, built the Palazzo in a neoclassical style - it was inspired by the Florentine palaces of the 16th century. The strong rustic foundation is crowned with a series of large rectangular window openings. A wide balcony accentuates the entrance to the Palazzo, and numerous tympanes, now badly defaced, adorn the ground floor windows. Inside, you can see a wide grand staircase and a music room with simple but elegant decorations.
