Thursday, September 24, 2009

Dogana d'acqua

Dogana d'acqua, Water Customs, LivornoAround 1830 the new Leopoldine Walls surrounded Livorno and a gate on the water was built where the “Canale dei Navicelli” reached the perimeter. It was a building called “Dogana d'acqua” (Water Customs) and, even heavily damaged during the last war, it still stands. The main purpose of these walls and gates was not defense, but to collect a tax called “dazio” (octroi) on the merchandise brought in town.Dogana d'acqua, Water Customs, Livorno
Inside the ruins of the “Dogana d'acqua”

Old print, Dogana d'acqua, Water Customs, Livorno
The interior of the “Dogana d'acqua” in an old print

Dogana d'acqua, Water Customs, Livorno
The “Dogana d'acqua” seen from inside the walls

Old print, Dogana d'acqua, Water Customs, Livorno
The building of the “Dogana d'acqua” in an old print

23 comments:

Lowell said...

Now those are some beautiful shots of a beautiful place. I would love to walk about here taking photos!

The colors are so nice, too...muted, almost pastels.

Great job.

Lowell said...

Oh, I forgot.

I got so excited I almost executed a jete! ;-)

brattcat said...

These are excellent shots, VP. You make us all want to come and walk with you.

James said...

Fantastic pictures. This is such a beautiful place.

Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.com said...

nice photos and i like the 18th century print. I really liked your elbow grease photos. they are wonderful

Gunn said...

Yes, we should all take a trip to Italy.:-)
Perhaps that is impossible, for most of us.
Anyway, nice photos, and also nice to read about the history of your city.

Nishant said...

nice photos and i like the 18th century print. I really liked your elbow grease photos. they are wonderful
How to make a website

cieldequimper said...

Ah, l'octroi. The nice thing about those old taxes is that they left us with beautiful buildings and sites.

Tinsie said...

So there was an actual customs house built over/next to the bridge? What's happened to it?

Kcalpesh said...

Nice photos, special mention for the 18th century print. I'd sure want to visit this place some day...

- Pixellicious Photos

Baruch said...

Interesting history and always great to see what a building looked like way back

Julie said...

I love the curves in the bridges but ... where have all the people gone ... long time passing ...

Unseen Rajasthan said...

Beautiful,Lovely and fantastic shots !! Thanks for sharing..Unseen Rajasthan

Antjas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

You have found the right place to capture the best angle of the bridge and the spot in general as shown on the first shot. Love it!

Cezar and Léia said...

Oh my friend, beautiful pictures! Confess, do you have a boat there, don't you?
:)
Wonderful post!The printed picture is awesome!I like this kind of art!
Léia

B SQUARED said...

Taxes? It all comes back to taxes.

VP said...

@ ciel - Right, this and some other in town.
@ Tinsie - It was demolished with part of the wall to make room for a modern road, around 1900. The rest was bombed out in WWII.
@ Léia - I am one of the rare Livornesi who doesn't own either a boat or a scooter.

tapirgal said...

It's too bad about the destruction. It was a wonderful building. What's left along with the canals is still very picturesque with the enchanting arches.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Wonderful. Very interesting. I love the comparison! Great details of old architecture and new. Sad that it's gone, some!! :-(

Virginia said...

Beautiful shots. I want to get on one of those snazzy boats and go for a photo cruise!
V

stromsjo said...

Like BS noted: taxes are the name of the game. Then as well as now.

Tash said...

the 1st arches are such a pretty and unusual shape. Another terrific historical journey for us!