Description of the attraction
The Venice Quarter - a real "little Venice" of Livorno - is located far from the busy streets of the city center and gives the opportunity to see the city as it was in the 17-18th centuries, when the port of Livorno was considered one of the largest in the entire Mediterranean and was inhabited by immigrants from all over the world. During the day Venice is a quiet and peaceful area, and in the evening, when the bars and restaurants open, the nightlife begins. The Effetto Venezia festival is held here every year at the end of July.
From the square in front of the Town Hall, where the tourist buses arrive and where the tourist information office is located, it is worth going to Via del Porticciolo, a narrow street that runs between the Palazzo della Dogana (Chamber of Commerce) and the new city hall. From there, you can turn right and find yourself in Via Borra, a historic residential area where wealthy merchants settled in the 17th and 18th centuries. At the very beginning of this street is the Ponte di Marmo bridge with marble parapets and inscriptions on the left side, made in the 17th century by local boatmen in memory of their beloved. Behind the bridge, there are a number of old buildings that once belonged to wealthy merchants, such as the Palazzo Hugens, a typical example of the Levornian Baroque. The Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III Medici and the Danish king Frederick IV stayed in this palace. And the Palazzo delle Colonne is remarkable for its entrance, framed by two marble columns.
From Via Borra you can reach the vibrant Piazza dei Dominicani, which overlooks the canal and the 17th century fortress Fortezza Nuova. The highlight of the square is the recently renovated octagonal church of Santa Caterina from the 18th century - one of the most beautiful churches in Livorno. Inside there is an altarpiece painted by Giorgio Vasari and a wooden manger by Cesare Tarrini. Behind the church is the building of a former monastery, which also served as a prison - during the years of the fascist dictatorship, Sandro Pertini (the future president of Italy) and Ilio Barontini were sitting in it. Further away, on Via San Marco, there is an interesting, albeit badly damaged building - the Teatro San Marco. It was in this building that the Italian Communist Party was founded in the 1920s. The theater itself was built in 1806, but was seriously damaged during the earthquake of 1846 and during air raids during the Second World War.
If you walk along the canal along Scali del Pontino and Scali delle Cantine, you can go to the large square of Piazza della Repubblica, and from there get to Viale degli Avalorati. Or you can choose a shorter path - along the fortress of Fortezza Nuova, which will lead to the building of the City Hall.
