Concerts Locations
USEFUL INFORMATION
The concerts in Fortezza Vecchia are scheduled “outdoors”, in case of bad weather they will take place in the rooms inside.
The concert in Suvereto in case of bad weather will take place in the Sala Musica in via Magenta n.13, Suvereto.
The concerts at the Natural History Museum will take place in Sala del Mare.
INSIGHTS INTO CONCERT VENUES
The Fortezza Vecchia was the symbol of Livorno during the Medicean period. It was designed by the Florentine Antonio da Sangallo in 1521 and ended in 1534 under the reign of the Duke Alessandro de Medici. Coming from the sea the fortress surprises the visitor with its red Tuscan color, its massive and solid appearance, the roundness of the bastions and its oblique walls that give to the fortress a kind of elegance. The fortress’ historical value is enriched by the ancient building standing inside: for example the squared tower mentioned in the donation act of Livorno’s village, dated 1103, with which Matilde di Canossa sponsored the building of the Duomo in Pisa. The rounded tower built in 1241 has the shape of two concentric cylinders between those we can see an helicoidal masonry staircase.Inside the fortress there is also the famous “Quadratura dei Pisani” a squared castle built by Puccio di Landuccio and Francesco di Giovanni, with a walkway area above.The first project of Cosimo de Medici for the construction of the Livorno’s harbor included a building inside the fortress’ walls with the aim of monitoring the progress of this huge work. This building is on the east side of “Quadratura dei Pisani” and it is linked to the San Francesco Chapel by an open gallery. The palace of Francesco, Cosimo’s successor, was built on the Canaviglia Bastion which is the nearest bastion to the sea.Prior to building a paved bridge to the castle from the mainland the fort was surrounded by the sea and was accessible via a pontoon bridge by which horses and carriages could enter. In the 19th century the fortress became a prison which during the Risorgimento also kept political prisoners including Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi, Enrico Bartelloni e Don Maggini. The old fortress sustained extensive damage in World War II but was subsequently repaired following the conflict. The fortress is the birthplace of the Livorno Music Festival, hosting Masterclasses and concerts from the beginning
The Bottini dell’olio, in Livorno, are one of the most characteristic architectural features of the Venezia Nuova district. They were originally intended for oil storage; in recent years they have hosted periodic exhibitions and a section of the Biblioteca Labronica. The ground floor is part of the exhibition route of the “Museo della Città”. They were erected in 1705 in an area of Venezia Nuova that was not yet urbanized, and a few decades later, in 1731, the building was enlarged under the direction of Giovanni del Fantasia and designed by Antonio Foggini. Subsequently, with the construction of some private warehouses, the Bottini lost their importance and were used as a storage for certain food products. Furthermore, at the end of the 19th century, with the filling in of the nearby Canal, the structure was deprived of a direct connection with the port. During the Second World War the building was damaged and later used as a shelter for the homeless; after the war it was completely isolated to the west due to the demolition of the adjacent Case Pie, with the exception of the small church of the Assumption and of San Giuseppe. Currently the place has been completely renovated and is used for exhibitions and conferences while the upper floor houses the Biblioteca Labronica.
San Ferdinando’s Church, also named La Crocetta by locals, represents from an artistical and historical point of view one of the most interesting churches in Livorno. Set in the New Venezia district, by the side of Piazza del Luogo Pio, it is an example of Baroque architecture of the early eighteenth century. Close to it there was Sant’Anna church (which doesn’t exist anymore). The built of this church begun in 1707 based on a project of Giovan Battista Foggini and ended in 1716 after almost 10 years by Giovanni del Fantasia who also drawed the project of the Church in Luogo Pio and of the magnificent Santa Caterina Church. This temple was entitled as a sign of respect and gratitude to King San Ferdinando, son of Grand Duke Cosimo III, who hardly supported its construction. This religious temple was entrusted to the Trinitarians, whose had as main purpose to raise funds for slaves liberation. The most precious masterpiece hosted inside the Church is the sculptural group of The Liberated Slaves, by Giovanni Baratta, an artist who also co-worked with Francesco Borromini: the masterpiece symbolizes the Trinitarian mission and represents an angel intent on freeing two slaves. A special mention goes to the refined marble floor, where you can admire some tombstones, which belong to the French.
At the beginning of 19th Century Livorno became one of the most popular destinations in terms of seaside tourism. Italian and foreigner middle classes started to spend their holidays in Livorno, and this was the reason of the creation of many accommodation facilities. The most famous are: Casini d’Ardenza, Caprilli Palace and Hotel Palazzo, also known like Palace Hotel. Bernardo Fabbricotti was the major supporter of the Palace construction. The hotel, whose building was based on a Enrico Azzati project, was opened in June 1884 and the management was entrusted to Sir J.Spatz, therefore the hotel took temporary his name. Is common belief that as guest, the hotel had King Umberto the 1st and The Queen Margherita. The Gran Hotel Palazzo has hosted, since the first edition, the Livorno Music Festival concert.
Site: www.ghpalazzo.it
The Vettovaglie Market, also known as the Mercato Centrale, is located on the seaport Aurelio Saffi and at the side of the Real moat. This market is one of the most interesting buildings from the second half of the XIX Century, here is clear the ascendancy of the iron and glass architectures of this time. In order to better understand the importance of this market it is important to explain how Livorno developed after getting the title of Porto Franco, in march 1675, when it became leader in the Mediterranean’s trade. The canals became the heart of the city, and is from here that the city begun to grow, with houses and warehouses overlooking the harbor. The central market is a perfect example of the city developing method, it is in fact linked by canals and it also has its own entrance from the harbor. At present it is one of the most visited places in Livorno. It was built in 1894, under a parisienne model, and it is the second largest Market in Europe.
The Gherardesca palace occupies a large part of via Galileo Galilei, formerly via dei Riseccoli, so called because of the watercourse that ran along the road. The grandiose neoclassical building that takes its name from the architect who designed it, Alessandro Gherardesca, was born as a shelter for the poor, orphans and the elderly with the name Casa Pia di Sant’Andrea, popularly known by the toponym Il ricovero. The Palace completed by Angiolo della Valle was inaugurated in 1861. It is flanked by the Carlo Grabau nursery school, where, in the covered courtyard, there was the sculptural group by Paolo Emilio Demi, La madre educatrice, later transferred inside Villa Fabbricotti. The façade is enriched by a portico defined by a succession of ribbed vaults, which leads to an internal courtyard, where we can admire the sound sculpture by the Livorno artist Antonio Vinciguerra. From here, long corridors branch off, where the various rooms overlook, while on the opposite side of the courtyard there is the internal chapel with a rectangular plan decorated with mural paintings, also by Vinciguerra. In the center of the courtyard outside the building is a marble composition by Temistocle Guerrazzi depicting a male figure with the uniform of the civic guard and a woman kneeling, with a child in her arms, in the act of holding the man with her hand. The work, placed here in 1904, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the sculptor’s brother, Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi, represents the exiles, forced to abandon their cities for having participated in the wars of Independence, during the Risorgimento. The complex, damaged during the Second World War, after a period of abandonment and a long restoration, houses the “Pietro Mascagni” Music Institute and some offices of the Province of Livorno. The rooms of the Villa host the courses of the Livorno Music Festival.
Livorno’s Natural History Provincial Museum was established in 1929 when famous naturalists form Livorno gathered lots of scientific equipment from the “Gabinetto di Storia Naturale” of the “ Istituto Tecnico Amerigo Vespucci” from 1871 to 1909. Unfortunately the natural heritage was destroyed during 1944 bombing. After the war, the museum was moved to the municipal aquarium and reopened in 1952. In 1980, finally, the museum was moved to the current location in “Villa Henderson” whose main building, completely renewed, hosts the operational heart of the Institute. The project of recovery and restoration of Villa Henderson can be divided in two phases: the first deals with the study of the history and the structure conditions, the second one is focused on finding a method to connect both the architectural and the economical purposes of the building. The position of the museum in Villa Henderson, among Villa Fabbricotti, Villa Lloyd, Villa Mimbelli and The Mascagni terrace (where the aquarium is), creates a corridor East-West which is transverse and alternative to the existing north-south corridors in town. This corridor full of interesting attractions gives the possibility to decongest the urban traffic, requalifying new areas in the city. This position changes completely the idea of a closed Museum and gives the idea of a part of the urban and social surrounding. The main area of the eighteenth-century Villa Henderson hosts the technical and administrational quarter with the direction, the graphical room, lab for students, the library and a reading room.
Site: musmed.provincia.livorno.it
The Piaggio museum borned in march 2000, was built on the area of 3.000 square meters, previously dedicated to the workshop; one of the most fascinating and ancient part of the Pontedera complex. The industry begun its production here in the early 20’s. The museum has been created to keep and improve the historical heritage of this huge Italian industry and it has the main purpose to hand down the history of Piaggio and its Region. This story tells about all the economic changes, industry development and Italian habits trough the exhibition of the Piaggio most important examples thanks to the entire collection preserved into the Archivio Storico.
Site: www.museopiaggio.it
Chiostro di San Francesco – Piazza della Cisterna n.12, 57028 Suvereto (LI)
It was built in 1288 by the Order of Friars Minor; suppressed in 1808 during the reign of Elisa and Felice Baciocchi, it was radically modified and reduced to residential use; currently, the remains of the church and the bell tower can be identified, incorporated into civil buildings, while the cloister is preserved, although closed on one of its sides. Next to the latter stands the church of the Crucifix.
Recently, after a long and careful restoration, the blind side of the cloister was opened, bringing it back to its ancient splendor.
After the restoration operations, excavations were carried out that led to the discovery of some human skeletons, attributable to friars active in the convent.