Monday, January 31, 2011

Crazy Walk

Via Cairoli toward piazza Cavour, Livorno“Via Cairoli” toward “Piazza Cavour”, from behind the Cathedral.Santa with a gun; buy!, LivornoAn out of season and menacing Santa says: “Buy”.Zebra crossing sign, Livorno“Using the zebra crossing you will be cut in half”.A mess of road signs, LivornoToo many road signs...Butcher shop, the pleasure of fresh meat, Livorno“Butcher shop, the pleasure of fresh meat”. In Italian “carne” is both meat and flesh.

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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Painted Pamiglione

Old Harbor, Pamiglione, painting, LivornoWe have already seen in “Scali delle Ancore” that a hardware store uses a side window as a gallery for local paintings.Old Harbor, Pamiglione, LivornoThis time the subject is an older version of the “Darsena Vecchia”, while the recent photo is much more crowded with larger and less picturesque boats.

See also: Scali delle Ancore - Portrait of a Ship - Painted View - Pamiglione - Old Harbor - Fortezza Vecchia - Mastio di Matilde

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Five Ms

Palazzo Santa Elisabetta, via Marradi, LivornoThe front door of the “Palazzo Santa Elisabetta” (Saint Elizabeth), in “Via Marradi”, underlined by a set of advertising panels on the other side of the street, in “Piazza Attias”.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Two Grand Dukes

Monument to Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, LivornoThe monument to Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, by the sculptor Francesco Pozzi, was erected in the southern part of “Piazza della Repubblica” around 1840.Monument to Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, LivornoHe is facing the statue of another Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II, sculpted in 1855 by Emilio Santarelli to replace the monument damaged in 1849 and now placed in “Piazza XX Settembre”.
Leopold II was the son of Ferdinand III, so another good title for this post could have been “Father and Son”.

See also: Leopold II of Tuscany - Forlorn Grand Duke - Heraldic Bees

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Bad Elf

The Bad Elf pub, via della Posta, LivornoThe Bad Elf”, with its funny sign, is a pub in “Via della Posta”.Paparazzi, restaurant, via MagentaPaparazzi” is the plural of “paparazzo”, an intrusive photographer usually chasing celebrities. This is a restaurant in “Via Magenta”.Ribello Gallo brasserie, via dell'Angiolo, LivornoDe bello gallico” (Of the Gallic War) was Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, while “Ribello Gallo” is a brasserie in “Via dell'Angiolo”, whose name may mean “rebel rooster”.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Geometric Walk

Yellow grille shutter, LivornoYellow grille shutter, “Via Mentana”.Clock, Cathedral, LivornoThe clock of the Cathedral.Bar Giubbe Rosse, LivornoAwning of the bar “Giubbe Rosse” (Red Coats), “Piazza Grande”.Windows of the synagogue, LivornoThe windows of the Synagogue.Window seen through a round opening, LivornoA window seen from an opening of the porticoes in “Via Cairoli”.

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Felicita West

Felicita West, IMO 1007134, LivornoThe “Felicita West” is a 62 meter sailing yacht built in 2003 by the Perini Navi shipyard in Viareggio. Just for comparison, you can see on the right the 59 meter “I Dynasty”.Felicita West, IMO 1007134, LivornoThe overview on her website simply states that this is the largest and fastest aluminium sailing yacht in the world.Felicita West, IMO 1007134, LivornoTo the really daring ones they offer the most spectacular views from the crow's nest lift that ascends 40 meters (131 feet). The boat is available for charter.

See also: Alarife Cien - Baies du Monde - Wind Star - I Dynasty
Felicita West - Perini Navi - The Yacht Report, July 2003 (pdf)

Monday, January 24, 2011

Santissima Trinità

Chiesa della Santissima Trinità, LivornoThe “Chiesa della Santissima Trinità” (Church of the Most Holy Trinity) in “Borgo dei Cappuccini”. As the address says, this is the church of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, which has been in Livorno since the 16th Century.Chiesa della Santissima Trinità, LivornoIn the course of centuries the original building has been enlarged and remodeled several times. The actual church was completed in 1903, but it was almost completely rebuilt after the last war.Chiesa della Santissima Trinità, LivornoA 1937 card celebrating the first centenary as a parish church.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Battle of Livorno

The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn) by Johannes Lingelbach, 1660In the early 1653 Dutch and English squadrons have been chasing each other in the vicinity of the island of Elba. The Dutch were then able to capture the English frigate Phoenix and the ship was placed under the command of a young officer, Cornelis Tromp.The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn) by Reinier Nooms, 1653In March 1653 the English Captain Henry Appleton and his 6 ships were trapped in the port of Livorno (Leghorn), a neutral territory under the Grand Duke of Tuscany. With a successful sortie the English recaptured the Phoenix, but this action meant a violation of the port’s neutrality. The Dutch Admiral Johan van Galen asked the English ships to leave, but another squadron, commanded by Richard Badiley, was coming to rescue the trapped ships.The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn) by Willem van de Velde the Elder, 1655While the Dutch were sailing toward the new threat, the blockaded squadron saw the chance to escape and left the port. Surprisingly the Dutch engaged Appleton's ships and only one of them was able to flee and rejoin the incoming English squadron.The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn) by Willem Hermansz van Diest, 1756The Dutch moved then toward Badiley's squadron. Outnumbered 16 to 9 the English ships were forced to retreat. Admiral Van Galen was mortally wounded in the action and died on March 23.

The paintings in this post:
The Battle of Livorno (Leghorn), 1660
by Johannes Lingelbach, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The Battle of Livorno (De zeeslag bij Livorno), 1653
by Reinier Nooms, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Slag bij Livorno (Battle of Leghorn), 1654-1655
by Willem van de Velde the Elder, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The Battle of Leghorn, 1756
by Willem Hermansz van Diest
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London


External links: Battle of Leghorn - Cornelis Tromp - Johan van Galen - Henry Appleton - Richard Badiley (Wikipedia)

The battle of Livorno
(History of the Sailing Warship in the Marine Art)
Capt. John Wood's forgotten Italian grave
(Leghorn Merchant Networks)

Saturday, January 22, 2011

White Telephone

White fluffy phone, LivornoJust before Christmas, in this age of stylish and sleek smartphones, my attention was caught by this fluffy white set.

See also: Telefoni Bianchi (White Telephones)

Friday, January 21, 2011

Along the New Canal

New canal, Venezia Nuova, LivornoThe works at the new canal are almost completed on this side and you can walk freely along the mint new parapets.New canal, Venezia Nuova, LivornoThere is only a skeleton of the future footbridge and no trace of the road bridge to be build where now there is only an embankment. Lack of funds, it seems...

Search labels: new canal
See also: An Useless Dig - Canale dei Navicelli - Viale Caprera - Micropoles - New Venice - A New Canal - Crash - The Dig - Building the Canal - Venice's Canal - The Old “Cantina” - Under Construction - The Bomb - The Buried Bomb - The Wall - Modulblock

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Fried Food & Ice Cream

Sign, fried food shop, LivornoThis is the funny sign of a fried food shop in “Piazza XX Settembre”. “6 fritto” in Italian means literally “you are fried” and colloquially “you are done”.Old fashioned ice cream sign, LivornoA quite old fashioned sign outside a bar in “Piazza Mazzini”.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Heraldic Bees

Marble bee house, LivornoJust beside and slightly behind the statue of Leopold II of Tuscany in “Piazza XX Settembre” you can see an artistic bee house, with a perfectly designed door with hinges and lock.Marble bee house, Livorno, LivornoHeraldic bees have always been a symbol of industriousness and, in a later period, of some Napoleonic heritage. Four larger bees are at the door, while twelve more appear on the side.

See also: Leopold II of Tuscany - Forlorn Grand Duke

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Rust Never Sleeps

Love padlocks, LivornoSo near to sea, our love padlocks are getting rustier by the day.Rusty lamp post, LivornoYou are probably familiar with this lamp post from the left picture in our header. It was taken when the post was still in better shape.

See also: Love Padlocks - End of TAN

Monday, January 17, 2011

Free Territory

Dea, dance school, Livorno“Dea” (Goddess) dance school in “Via del Platano”.Lift, Grande movie theater, LivornoThe external lift of the “Grande” movie theater.Balustrade, Cathedral, LivornoA balustrade on the side of the Cathedral, in “Piazza Grande”.Deutsche Bank, piazza Cavour, LivornoThe balcony of the Deutsche Bank in “Piazza Cavour”.Bororo Free Territory, gallery, LivornoBororo Free Territory, an art gallery right on the “Fosso Reale”.

More Walks

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Scali delle Ancore

Scali delle Ancore, painting, LivornoIn the side window of a hardware store in “Borgo dei Cappuccini” it is quite common to see on display works of local painters.Scali delle Ancore, LivornoI recently tried to capture in a photo almost the same view of the painting, a few decades old, of the “Scali delle Ancore” .

See also: Painted View - Portrait of a Ship - Ponte della Venezia - Scali delle Barchette

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Mailboxes

Mailbox with mailmanon a bike, Livorno
“Via Giosuè Borsi”
Mailbox with a butterfly, Livorno
“Via dell'Origine”
House shaped mailbox, Livorno
“Via del Bosco”

Friday, January 14, 2011

Silos Ardenza

Silos Ardenza, LivornoI don't know much about the “Silos Ardenza”: it is a battery of tall grain silos inside the cargo port, visible from almost everywhere in town.Silos Ardenza seen from the Pamiglione, LivornoThe huge structure has nothing to do with the quarter of Ardenza, practically on the opposite side of Livorno.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Leda and the Swan

Leda and the Swan, Villa Fabbricotti, LivornoIn a quite remote corner of the “Villa Fabbricotti” park we can see a sculpture representing Leda and the Swan that was once part of a beautiful fountain.Leda and the Swan, Villa Fabbricotti, LivornoIn the early years of 1900, Pedro Alessandro Bossio, the honorary consul of Argentina, became the new owner of “Villa Attias”. Both the building and the park were restored and enriched, the fountain was commissioned to the sculptor Luigi Brizzolara.Villa Bossio, Leda and the Swan, LivornoIn an old photo of the villa, the fountain is clearly visible.Leda and the Swan, Villa Fabbricotti, LivornoIn 1968 the villa was demolished to make room for new buildings and for what is now “Piazza Attias”. The basins and the sculpture were moved to the place where now they stand.

See also: Villa Fabbricotti - Piazza Attias
Luigi Brizzolara (in Portuguese)