Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
B1
C1
A2
Sleeping
D4
B3
Eating
B4
C2
9
L'Ancora
B2
C3
C2
B4
Drinking & Nightlife
13
La Bodeguita
C1
Shopping
14
VAD Formaggi
C3
History
The earliest references to Livorno date from 1017. The port was in the hands of Pisa and
then Genoa for centuries, until Florence took control in 1421. It was still tiny - by the
1550s it boasted a grand total of 480 permanent residents. But all that changed under
Cosimo I de' Medici, who converted the scrawny settlement into a heavily fortified
coastal bastion - to the point that even today it is known as a 'Medici town' by Italians
elsewhere.
Livorno was declared a free port in the 17th century, sparking swift development. By
the end of the 18th century it was a vital, cosmopolitan city, functioning as one of the
main staging posts for British and Dutch merchants who were then operating between
Western Europe and the Middle East, and had a permanent population of around 80,000.