The Montenero Funicular RailwayThis year, 2008, the Funicular Railway in Montenero, Livorno, is celebrating its 100th birthday.

It was inaugurated on 19th August 1908 and was the first electric railway of its kind in Italy. Until 1963, it represented the main means of transport for Montenero, until the building of the panoramic road leading directly to the Sanctuary.

There are two trains running up and down the 656m track, each one capable of carrying 40 passengers. They can transport up to 580 people per hour.

View over the Fortezza Nuova to the Scali delle CantineThe city of Livorno and the surrounding area offer a wide range of places to see and things to do, both for those in search of history and culture and for those intent on more mundane pleasures. Although much of Livorno was destroyed during the 2nd World War, there are still a great number of interesting buildings to be seen, dating from medieval times to the 19th century.

Out of town, head south of Livorno for some pleasant seafront walks, the attractive districts of Ardenza and Antignano, and the hillside village of Montenero with spectacular views over the city. All are just a bus ride away.

Discounts on local buses and in shops and museums

In operation again this year is the LIVORNO CARD, a means of saving money during your time in Livorno. The Livorno Card costs €3 for one day and €5 for three days, and is free for children under 12.

The advantages that come from holding a Livorno Card are as follows:
• Free travel on the local ATL bus service
• Free entry to the Giovanni Fattori Civic Museum and the Natural History Museum
• A discounted price of €8.50 for the boat trip on the canals of Livorno (full rate €10).
• Discounts at participating shops and restaurants (look for the Livorno Card logo).
• Tour Guides – 10% discount for groups and individuals
• Discounted entrance of €2 to the Caprilli race course on race days.

Marco Quaretta and his Vintage Scooter Workshop

Vespa Badge, part of Marco's CollectionVespa is the Italian word for ‘wasp’, and it was Enrico Piaggio - founder of the Piaggio factory in the province of Pisa -  who gave the scooter its name back in 1946, because of the high buzzing noise – like a wasp - that its engine made, and its unusual narrow-waisted shape.

A Life-long Passion for Vespa Scooters

Unlike other teenagers who eventually grow out of their love for their two-wheeled means of transport, Livorno-born Marco Quaretta never lost his passion for the workings of the Vespa scooter. By watching others and experimenting on his own, over the years Marco has become an authority on this much loved Italian classic, and for some years now has had his own immaculate workshop and vintage Vespa scooter showroom in the heart of one of Livorno’s oldest districts, San Jacopo, not far from the church of the same name and the Pancaldi bathing lido.

The city centre of Livorno is fairly compact, but any new town can be confusing, so I have created a map, with the aid of Google, to try to help those of you who would like to explore the city by yourselves.
You can zoom in and out, pan right and left, and switch to satellite view, to suit your needs.

A Personal Choice of What Not To Miss in Livorno 

•  The Central Market – an array of colour, chaos and local flavour
•  A Boat Ride on the Fossi (or canals) of Livorno, for an original view of the city 
• The Museo Fattori – Livorno’s Art Gallery – in Villa Mimbelli
  
  
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Vespa Line-up in Marco's ShowroomBored with shopping? Had it with old churches and museums?!

If you are looking for something unusual to do during your time in Livorno, here are a few suggestions:

• Visit Marco Quaretta's vintage Vespa workshop in the San Jacopo district
• Check out an exhibition of contemporary art at one of Livorno's private galleries (see the What's On pages to see what is showing).
• Seek out one of Livorno's talented designers - choose from artistic ceramics, reclaimed sculptures, murano glass jewellery, and lots more

• Search for your ancestors in the Old English Cemetery in Via Verdi
• Buy a picnic at the Central Market and eat it in one of Livorno's parks
• Explore one of Livorno's old districts, like the Borgo, or San Jacopo
• Savour local specialities on a do-it-yourself gourmet tour
• Catch some rays at one of Livorno's bagni and experience local life

For further information on any of the above, please contact me

One of the Five Entrances to Livorno Central MarketLivorno's Central Market is one of the highlights on any visit to the city. The huge building towers over the main canal on the Scali Saffi and is easily reached from Piazza Cavour. It dates from the late-19th century and was designed by Angiolo Badaloni who was probably inspired by Parisian architecture of the same period.

The market is open every morning from Monday to Saturday and is well worth a visit. Five entrances lead into the main food hall where 34 shops and 230 stalls sell meat, eggs, poultry, ham, cheese, bread, wine, and a whole variety of intriguing foodstuffs.

One of the Tombstones in the Monumental Cimitero degli Inglesi in Via VerdiKnown in Livorno as the Cimitero degli Inglesi, or the English Cemetery, the monumental cemetery in Via Verdi dates from the 1640s and is the oldest of its kind in the whole of Italy. The people buried in the cemetery were protestants of various nationalities who were living or staying in Livorno during the 17th, 18th and first part of the 19th century.  In 1840 the cemetery was closed down following the expansion of the city walls, and a new ‘English’ cemetery was opened outside the walls (Via Pera).