The Fortezza VecchiaAlthough the port of Livorno was already well-established in medieval times, only around 700 people lived there when the town was bought by Florence from Genoa in 1421. Livorno represented a strategic point for the Florentines, especially since the port of Pisa had begun to silt up. The ‘new’ city was founded at the end of the 16th century when the Florentine rulers, the Medici, decided to develop the whole area, employing their architect Buontalenti to design what he called the ‘ideal city’. The first stone was laid in 1577, and Livorno was officially given city status in 1606.
Cosimo I also opened up Livorno to the rest of Tuscany by building the Navicelli Canal between Livorno and Pisa, therefore ensuring a connection with Florence via the River Arno.
Livorno quickly flourished thanks to its port, which attracted ships and trade from all over the Mediterranean and beyond.
In order to populate his new city, Ferdinando de’ Medici encouraged foreign merchants to come and set up their businesses in Livorno, offering tax benefits and religious tolerance to all. As a result, Livorno became a cosmopolitan place, home to many Jews fleeing persecution in Spain and Portugal, and to Greek, Armenian, Dutch, French and British merchants. These foreign communties played a major role in establishing Livorno and developing trade there. Nowadays, the most obvious traces of these communities can be seen in the places of worship and cemeteries that each community established during its time in Livorno. The ‘English Cemetery’ in Via Verdi, for example, is the oldest Protestant cemetery in Italy.