Livorno
With great anticipation we arrive in Tuscany, the center of the Renaissance of the 16th and 17th centuries. Tuscany, the smallest Italian province is considered by many to be the most beautiful region of Italy. I can't believe I am here at the home of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. On this tour we will visit Livorno (Leghorn)and Pisa.
At 8:am the Stella enters the old Port of Livorno. a car and driver waits to take Clara, mom and I on our Tuscan adventure.
Badly damaged during WW2, Livorno is not pretty like her beautiful sister Firenze (Florence), but the port still has a definite Mediterranean flavor. The Fortessa Vecchia (old fort) edges the harbor. Still intact are some of the walls in many stages of incarnation. The Fort was built to protect the port from pirates and numerous other invaders through the centuries.
Situated on the Tirrenica coast, Livorno or, Leghorn as it is known in English, was the most important port in the region. Now it is third, outranked only by Genoa and Naples. Livorno is built on marshy ground, for this reason, it has been crisscrossed by canals and is often referred to as " Little Venice." Livorno is connected to Pisa by a large canal.
This city is an important industrial and commercial center and boasts a fine Naval Academy. Other attractions include: The Provincial Natural History Museum, containing collections of prehistoric artifacts, petroglyphs and paleontology, and zoological artifacts of the area. The Prehistoric Museum with Etruscan and Roman antiquities, A Gallery of paintings from 800 and 900s and archives of historical importance. The Progressive Museum of Contemporary Art, The Torre del Marzocco and Torre del Meloriao, erected in 1881, and now used as signal stations. A 16th century Cathedral, Armenian and Greek churches and also a splendid 15th century Synagogue.
The Porto Mediceo is the most picturesque area of Livorno, with a view of ocean liners and fishing boats bobbing in the blue Mediteranean Sea. The famous but strange statue of Ferdinando 1, with four slaves chained to the base is also worth a look-see. as is the crumbling Fortezza Nouova which guards the harbor.
Pisa
Through arched gateways we enter the city of Pisa. Pisa on the banks of the Arno,is famous for the ensemble of monuments in the Piazza del Duomo, it's priceless art, and it's most famous native son, Galileo. Pisa also boasts one of the oldest universities in Europe. The Scuola Normale Superiore was founded by Napoleon.
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