PROVINCIA DI LIVORNO DELLA TOSCANA
This province includes Porto Azzurro, Portoferraio as well as the Island of Elba.
Elba is worth a trip if you have the time. Capoliveri is one of the scenic towns which includes the Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie, built in the 1500's.
Porto Azzurro the star shaped fortress was commissioned by Filippo III of Spain in 1602. From here as well as from Orbetello the Spanish controlled the main sea routes of the Tyrrhenian.
Because the strategic position the Elba settlement served as a stronghold against the aims of the Grand Duchy of Toscana and as a maritime slipway for the Spanish ships.
In 1714 it was annexed to Napoli until 1801 and then given to the French who held all of Tuscana at that time. The 1815 Vienna congress gave it back to the Grand Duchy of Toscana, and then with the Unity of Italy... well there you go.
Portoferraio is the capital of Elba. The period of greatest celebrity was from May 1814 to February 1815 when it was the residence of Napoleon and capital of the little Sovereign State of Elba.
Sites of note include: The Palazzo Comunale, known also with the name of Biscotteria, because of the bread ovens therein. Built in 1562 and remodelled in the 1800s. The Palazzina dei Mulini and the Villa San Martino are elegant as they were adapted for Napoleon’s stay. The Bastioni Medicei is the defensive barrier constructed by Buontalenti in 1558. The Cathedral is from the XVI century and enlarged in the successive centuries.
Now, back on the mainland.
Castagneto Carducci this was the dominion of the Counts of Gherardesca. The remains of their palace are on the hill. The addition of Carducci to the name of the town occured in 1907 to honour of the poet who stayed here as a child and ofter referred to the town in his lyrics. The castle belonged to the Gherardesca. It has been rebuilt over the centuries. Palazzo Espinassi Moratti was the home of the poet Carducci. The SS Crocifisso is a church with an oratory built in the 1600's oratory and a wooden crucifix form the 1400s.
Livorno - with 167,000 people is a big town for the area. A port, it is a town that often is an arrival or departure point.
By the 16th century Livorno was a small fishing village. That would be it, but the Medici family decided to built a port for Tuscany. The Porto Mediceo and the large-scale fortifications of the city were built between 1518 and 1618. In the old city centre, The Fortezza Vecchia is today the most important monument in the city, and includes the 9th century Torre Matilde and the 14th century Quadratura dei Pisani.
The New Venice with its 1600s quarter is next to the old village and is carved up with canals (hence its name). The Fortezza Vecchia, imposing fortified complex from 1518 on the orders of the Pope Clemente VII. The Fortezza Nuova, surrounded by the Royal Channel was built in 1592.
Costernino by Pasquale Poccianti built in 1828 is the elegant water tank for the city’s water. The Cathedral,S. Francesco d’Assisi, faces onto the Piazza Grande. Built near the end of the 1500s it was almost totally destroyed by the bombardments of the last war. Reconstructed following the original lines it has a simple grey marble façade preceded by a portico. The single nave interior preserves precious works of art. Nuova Sinagoga, was reconstructed after the war on the place of the preceding synagogue of 1600s. its interior is enriched with works of art.
Sassetta a small town with a long history. The Palazzo Ramirez di Montalvo is located in ther centre of the town. The Plazzo was rebuilt in the 1700s. The Church, S.Andrea, has a baptismal font from the 1400s.
Suvereto Located 96 km from Pisa, and 100 km from Siena, the town is a medieval village whose origins date back to before the year 1000.
Concerts and historical commemorations are held in the medieval setting of St. Francis' Cloister (chiostro di S. Francesco) every year.
Reports are that this town has enchanting architectural harmony and its ancient walls enclose paved streets lined with stone houses, historical buildings, impressive churches, and shadowy cloisters.
St. Justus' Church (Chiesa di S, Giusto) was built around the year 1000 in Romanesque style with Byzantine decorations. The church stands between the walls, the parish church, and the gate to the town.
The ancient public fountains, such as the Fountain of the Angels (Fontana degli Angeli) and the one to the Belvedere are very interesting and were at a time used for daily living.
The town is surrounded by a pentagonal wall completed with eight towers.