Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2 Chiesa di Santa Catarina
B1
3 Fortezza Nuova
C1
4 Fortezza Vecchia
A2
Sleeping
5 Hotel al Teatro
D4
6 Hotel Gran Duca
B3
Eating
7 Cantina Senese
B4
8 La Barrocciaia
C2
9 L'Ancora
B2
10 Mercato Centrale
C3
11 Mercato di Piazza Cavallotti
C2
12 Osteria del Mare
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.
 
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