November 24, 2024
Another cold morning greeted us, this time completely cloudy with a chance of rain later in the day. We slept late, then met up with Joan to board the bus shuttling us into the main square of the port town of Livorno. The port, located on the west coast of Tuscany, is huge and highly industrial. It serves as the gateway to Pisa, Florence, and even Rome. The road to the city from the ship snakes tightly through the industrial port area, then past massive, ancient fortifications, into the lovely city.
Livorno is considered to be Tuscany’s most authentic city, and also the most modern among all Tuscan cities. It looked very old and quaint to us. It is distinctively charming and full of character, with Venetian style canals winding through the historic quarters. The waterways, bridges, squares and wide walkways make Livorno a wonderful city to explore by foot. An area we did not see, but read about later, is the Central Terrazzo Mascagni, a waterside promenade and terrace graced with checkerboard paving. It is the city’s main gathering place, with an elegant gazebo, benches, and panoramic sea and sunset views. If you ever visit Livorno, be sure to include the Central Terrazzo Mascagni in your tour. Also, look for the Santuario de Monenero, a hillside church with panoramic views.
As we walked from the city center square past storefronts with stylish clothing displayed in the windows, broad walkways opened into another square, where we found the restaurant that our friend Joan had heard about, Bar Sole. She was told that it had fantastic lasagna for only 12 Euros. And it was phenomenal! Joan and I had the lasagna, and Cliff had pasta with bolognese sauce.
From the restaurant, we walked past many more shops toward the waterfront canal, which was packed with boats so tightly, that they were moored touching each other.
A sublimely artistically beautiful, yet awful statue faced the waterfront, which fascinated us. Why was this statue here? It seemed to celebrate a Medici hero, depicted high above four chained slaves, writhing in agony. After reading the plaque, I learned that the statue is the Quattro Mori, Monument of the Four Moors, initially commissioned in 1595, and finally completed in 1626, to commemorate the victories of Ferdinand I de’ Medici of Tuscany over the Ottomans. It is the most famous monument in Livorno.
The upper portion of the statue, which is Ferdinand I of Tuscany in his uniform as Grand Master of the Order of Knighthood of Saint Stephen, is made of Carrara marble. The Order was created to protect the Tuscan seas from pirates, mainly of North African origin (“Mori”). The base with the four chained men was completed in bronze over two decades later. The monument was erected to celebrate the victories by the “Stefaniani” over pirates. According to the plaque at the statue, in 1636, bronze trophies of a turban, cloak, quiver and scimitar were added at the Granduca’s feet, but these were stolen in 1799 by French troops under the command of general Miollis.
Researching further online, I learned that it is thought that the four Moorish slaves symbolize the four corners of the world. Their bodies are turned in such a way that you can stand in a certain spot and see all four of their noses. Three of the captives appear to represent the Berber people of the Southern Mediterranean Coast (Salé — not Morocco) and the other is clearly a black African. I read that the models for the statues were in the penal colony in Livorno. One was Morgiano from Algiers. Another was Ali Salettino from Morocco. It is thought that the men might have been captured by Christians during a battle or even bought at a slave market. Others believe that the models for the four captives were real Saracen pirates captured by the city.
The statue is controversial, because although it celebrates defeat of pirates that plagued the coastal towns of the Mediterranean, it seems to some people that it glorifies slavery. Because the Livorno port was at one time a major trade center for slaves, the controversy is understandable.
According to my research, Ferdinand I de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, was actually a visionary leader, in that he declared Livorno a duty free port, and established international trade laws to protect merchants from crime and racketeering. He also expanded Christian tolerance of religious freedom. He granted amnesty to those who were required to receive penance from the clergy in order to conduct civil business. Turks, Persians, Moors, Greeks, Armenians and Jews began immigrating to Livorno. During the late 16th century, after the Alhambra Decree and the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal, Sephardic Jews immigrated to Livorno as well. Because Jews were provided certain rights and privileges, they contributed significantly to the scholarship and mercantile wealth of Livorno, which grew to become an enlightened European city, and one of the most important ports in the entire Mediterranean. Subsequently, Orthodox Greeks and Christian Protestant Reformers from all across Europe moved to Livorno.
Beyond the famous monument, we could view the old fortress, which is incredible. The bastions of the 16th century Fortezza Vecchia face the harbor, and gradually open right into the city’s historic quarters. It was in this Medieval fortress, built by the Medici family, that in 1606, Livorno was proclaimed a city. Before this fortress was built, the site was a medieval fort built by the city of Pisa in 1377, in the location of an even older fortress built in the 11th century. The tower was incorporated into the fort that the Pisans built. There are even remnants of ancient Roman ruins — castrum, which were camps or smaller forts, temporary encampments, or “marching” forts.
The area around what is now Livorno has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age. In the hills of Livorno, evidence has been found in the form of bones and pieces of copper and ceramics. There was an Etruscan settlement called Labro. Later, it was occupied by the Romans. Ruins of Roman towers can be found throughout the region. Around 1017, Livorno was a small coastal village. The only remainder of this Medieval period is a fragment of two towers and a wall inside the Fortezza Vecchia.
During the Medicean Period, 1500-1650, the Medici, the ruling dynasty of Florence, made many modifications to the city and built the Fortezza Vecchia. I read that after 1561, Livorno became a major Mediterranean slave trade hub, “rivaling Malta’s,” and the slave population was as much as 25% of the overall population.
During the Italian Renaissance, the Medici family determined that Livorno should be designed as an ideal town. It was designed in a pentagonal shape. Towers and fortresses, which led to the town center, protected Port Medico and the town of Livorno.
Walking back through the city again before returning to the ship, we saw unique fountains and enjoyed the delicious local gelato.
Something about Livorno and Pisa resonated with me. I felt comfortable there, as if I belonged…that I could linger in either of these towns for days or even weeks. There is so much more to learn about Italy, to experience and absorb. The more I visit Italy, the more I fall in love with it.
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