Livorno is an incredibly important port city in Tuscany and is the main city of its area, forming the province of Livorno. The Livornese coast lies between Livorno and Piombino and encompasses the most diverse shores of Tuscany on the Ligurian Sea along the Etruscan Coast. Most of the cities have rocky and pebbly waters, a select few boast perfectly white, sandy shores, while some contain both and have the ever-changing characteristics of being directly affected by natural weather patterns. Livorno its self has a long history being utilized for its proximity to the islands off its shore and is one of the cities protected with the islands in the Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscana.
Along with many cities including Florence and Siena, Livorno is considered part of the Associazione delle Città d'Arte e Cultura (CIDAC) signifying its importance and historical significance regarding the arts and culture.
The city is self began as a tiny, poor community that made its meagre living by fishing. The first written documentation of the city with its current name was in the year 904 but its roots reach to Etruscan times. It remained relatively impoverished until its potential was realized by the Medici family’s Cosimo I; the city’s bonification occurred in 16th century at which time it quickly became the largest and most important port city on the Mediterranean. The city was a hub for trade and their once little town experienced an explosion of growth and prosperity. When the Medici’s took Livorno under their care they almost immediately began construction of their home, the Palazzo Mediceo, as well as the fortress within sight from their palace, Fortezza Vecchia. An upgraded and newer fortress, Fortezza Nuovo, was later built by the Medici’s in 1557. Other important historical buildings include the Duomo of Livorno dedicated to San Francesco which was built in between 1594 and 1606 and reconstructed in 1953 after it was damaged in crossfire during the second world war.
The coast of Livorno and its province are characterized very similarly to the islands of the Arcipelago Toscana off its shore. The land its self is hilly and mountainous at times and while the shores can be sandy and soft, they typically remain jagged, rocky and pebbly with areas of land that jut out of the sea becoming inaccessible by water. Having said that, its relative inaccessibility did not prevent inevitable attack attempts by pirates as the city experienced increasing economic growth. Becoming such an important port city demanded certain measures to protect the city and its surrounding land from these shore assaults. Therefore, there were a string of fortifications, towers, and castles constructed right on the shore in order to protect from the pirates that threatened its shores.
