Villa Maurogordato revisited

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The last time I was at Villa Maurogordato was a warm November day, so humid that my camera lenses kept steaming up! You can see my over edited photos from that visit here.

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This time, the once so grand villa bathed in the golden afternoon sun. It was, if possible, even more overgrown though, so details is more or less what you can aim for.

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My photographer friend in the jungle.

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The romantic colonnade, possible intended for climbing roses och clematis…

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The villa is beyond repair. No roof means the decay is quick.

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What I really wanted to show you was some details from the stunning greenhouse. Hope you enjoy them!

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More Orlando

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I am glad you like my reports on the development of the old shipyard area! Therefore, I’ve dug out a few more photos for you.

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One question was about the new waterway and where it leads to. The answer is: nowhere really! Or, more correctly, up to the old shipyard gate, and there it ends. Here a photo from April 2015, as you can see the “canal” doesn’t yet exist.

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And the machine halls still have their roofs.

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This undated photo shows as many as three slipways (or is one of them a dock?) and Palazzo Orlando to the left.

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This is the backside of Palazzo Orlando (to the left), integrated with the new residential and commercial centre.

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The opposite view from the same spot, the Porto Mediceo with Fortezza Vecchia barely visible to the left and Palazzo Orlando to the right.

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The architect’s vision of the new canal with the old gate and the slipway.

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And the reality without the bird’s eye position.

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The architecture is not exactly cutting edge, nor traditional enough to blend in. The place is still a bit desolate, and quiet enough for someone less fortunate to have a nap under the vaults.

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To be continued…

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A transforming shipyard

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There is a huge transformation going on in the middle of Livorno.
The former shipyard Luigi Orlando is turning into the hippest place in town,
the new Porta a Mare area.

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Here he is, signor Orlando, in front of the gate of the shipyard,
where he and his three brothers started their business in the 1860’s, which would flourish for over a hundred years.

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Google shows the new shipbuilding area with blue roofs, and the first part of the housing and shopping complex at the bottom of the photo. It is mostly the structures in the middle that I am interested in, in this photo still with roofs.

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The area is filled with glossy images of the future Porta a Mare centre.
Here we can clearly see the buildings forming around the old slipway.

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This photo from 1926 shows the whole shipyard area with Luigi and the gate a little bit left of the centre, and a ship being built on the slipway, a bit up on the right.

The history of the area is much older than that of the shipyard, since a military hospital resided here since the 1700th century. I wonder if anything remains from that time?

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Let’s have a closer look at the structures just north of the slip. They are currently without a roof and they have been stripped down to the bare bricks.

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The vaults make them a bit church-like.

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Or maybe a fortress comes to mind.

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Old and new.

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This is the architect’s vision of the future use of the halls.
It seems like a standard shopping centre with cafés and restaurants.
And palm trees?

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It will be interesting to follow the development,
but I strongly suspect I will prefer them the way they are right now 😉

But that’s just me. And it’s great that they are spared and integrated into modern construction.

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The new “canal” by the slipway.

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The slipway.

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The construction site buzzing with activity.

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And the mesmerising patterns of brick vaults…

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Part II: More Orlando

Meanwhile in Venezia

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Fishing in the afternoon sun.

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San Martino in Salviano

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Salviano is a small village dating back to Roman times, which was incorporated into Livorno’s suburbs as late as in the 1970’s.

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There are still a few quiet streets with ancient features, like this old stable building.

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And here and there you can almost imagine being in the Tuscan countryside.

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The church of San Martino is mentioned already in 11th century scriptures

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which in fact makes it the oldest building in Livorno.

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Originally Romanesque, not a lot remains of the old church,

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since it was rebuilt in the 1700’s, and most of the 11th century structure was destroyed.

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The original apse is now the base of the belltower.

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There are wall plaques in both Italian

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and Latin.

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The adjacent walled cemetery

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with a few 19th century sculptures

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and a new area with tombs not yet used.

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That’s all from Salviano for now

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with spring greetings!

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The wall and the slaughterhouse

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This is the massive wall by Via della Cinta Esterna (Outer Wall Road). This is more or less what remains of the Medici city walls from the 1500’s.
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The huge gate used to lead into the slaughterhouse area.

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The sign still (almost) says Pubblici Macelli – Public butcher. Above on the crumbling wall is the city arms of Livorno.

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In another part of the wall a face is emerging. Or… what is it?

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Around the corner we can get a glimpse of the area inside the wall. The shadows on the wall come from the buses parked at one of the port terminals.

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The golden late afternoon sunlight casts long shadows and makes the facades glow.

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The former slaughterhouse area, as well as the old Forte San Pietro area, an early 18th century fortification. Needless to say, I’d love to get inside these walls and investigate further!

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The old farmhouse

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It seems to have been forgotten, when the city drew nearer and the traffic demanded more space. This old farmhouse, left next to a huge roundabout, a petrol station and a scruffy industrial area.

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Via Campania. I think the area is called Coteto, but if anyone knows differently, please tell.

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The house is still very beautiful, despite (or maybe because of?) its heavy decay.

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The building is a mix of recently fitted aluminium windows and derilict stable doors.

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“Go slowly for safety reasons and to avoid raising dust. Thank you!”
Aimed at passing cars, I presume.

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Some parts of the building are clearly abandoned.

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While others have been recently attended to.

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The back of the house. I wonder how many generations have lived here, how many children have played and worked in this courtyard.

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I love when old walls reveal different and earlier door openings. A feast for ones imagination!

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I hope someone will care for this house for many years to come. And give it just enough tlc, not to ruin all of its dilapidated charm!

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Unveiling the mysteries of Italian grocery shopping

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Today I had a shopping date. A nice couple who I’d never met but knew from Facebook, offered to let me join in on their weekly shopping round in Mercato Centrale, the huge covered market in Livorno.

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I have been here many times, of course, but mainly to take photos, or buy the odd cheese. The meat and escpecially the fish scare me, since it’s all quite different from what I’m used to at home. The meat cuts are not the same, and most of the fish I have never even seen before. Plus my rubbish Italian is not quite adequate for this kind of conversation.
So I really welcomed some help.

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We started outdoors, since many of the vegetable stalls are in and around Piazza Cavalotti, near the market. On a Saturday morning, it’s quite busy.

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Some vendors are very loud, but my new found friends took me to their favourite veggie stall where it was nice and fairly quiet, although busy.

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Then it was time to enter the covered market. What you see here is just the fish hall, a small part of the building.

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These beautiful crayfish with “eyes” on their tails, are actually very much alive and kicking, or crawling, and should be cooked the same way as lobsters. That is, put them in a pot of heavily boiling water one at a time. And apparently, they don’t die silently.
Not for me, this food!
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After purchasing some burrata (creamy mozzarella cheese) we went on to to this lovely lady for some local and organic eggs. She must be the oldest vendor in Livorno, at the age of 87-88 she’s still going strong! I chose the Montenero eggs, can’t get much more local than that, but they cost 50 cents each. I’m expecting a real treat for tomorrow’s breakfast!

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The last stop was at the butcher’s. What has intimidated me up until now is the large chunks of meat lying on display, and having no idea what to do with it. And not being able to ask, since it’s all in Italian here.
But today I watched and learned. And then managed to get a beautiful piece of meat ground and formed into patties, or burgers, in this contraption. I also got a chicken breast fillet cut into thin slices, ready to sauté.
Next time I’ll go for pork chops and some sausages.

It feels like I’ve unveiled some of the mysteries of shopping in Italy. And with some practise, I won’t have to put up with the dubious supermarket meat anymore.
Hooray!

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January 21st

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This is the San Marco theatre in the Venezia area. Only the facade remains of the original building since it was bombed during WWII. The new premises house a preschool.

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This is however a significant place in the history of Livorno, and indeed of Italy. On the 21st of January, in 1921, the Italian communist party was founded here in the theatre.  Livorno has always been a city of resistance, of partisans, of anti-fascism.

Gorgona island

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Let me wish you all a Happy New Year with this sunset behind the Gorgona Island from the Terrazza Mascagni!

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A favourite corner

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This is one of my favourite corners in Livorno. It’s where the Fosso Reale (the old moat) turns just southeast of Piazza della Repubblica.

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I have yet to climb down these stairs and walk the quay. Maybe next time.

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The whole of Piazza della Repubblica is a huge vault, Il Voltone, over the canal.

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Doors like this fascinate me. Where does it lead? What does it look like inside?

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But now to the corner itself. I really like the curve.

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And the colourful buildings!

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Beautiful details.

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Notice how the yellow building stretches out and follows the curve.

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A pretty view of the corner with Ponte San Benedetto. And now we’ve almost reached the Mercato Centrale.

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Reasons for loving the Terrazza Mascagni #31

 

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The sense of infinity.

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Dogana d’Acqua morning walk

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This November day my early morning walk took me to the Dogana d’Acqua, the old water customs area.

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Fellow blogger Martin asked for news from this interesting part of Livorno, and I guess this is it. A new building along the canal. It looks like a multistory car park but seems to be apartments.

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Next to it the Baracks of Lamarmora which has been partially renovated, but it seems to take forever to get it finished.

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Not that I mind terribly, as I am partial to a bit of decay.

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At least the old footbridge is in mint condition with a fresh coat of paint.

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On the other side of the bridge, the new structure with a printed glass cover to resemble the old customs building.

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And the sunrise reflecting in the glass.

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Nothing has changed yet on the back side. But I quite like it as it is…

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Piazza del Municipio

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From car park to tidy piazza.
The Palazzo Granducale (originally from the early 1600’s but destroyed during the war and reconstructed in 1950) deserved better than having to hide behind a muddled parking lot.

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And, as the latest cleanup in downtown Livorno, the piazza is now cleared of cars, paved and planted with new palm trees.
The towered house is early 18th century Palazzo Comunale, where the mayor’s office is.

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This piazza is also where the tourists from the cruise ships are let off and picked up, so I guess the city wants to present itself in the best possible way.

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The only “before” photo I have is this, where you can see only a fraction of the throng of cars that used to occupy the piazza. I tell you, the difference is huge.

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Palm tree haircut

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Palm tree pruning in Piazza Grande.
Not sure why the city of Livorno is so fond of palms. Trees that give zero shade on hot summer days. Sure, they look “Mediterranean”, but I find them both impractical and not excessively pretty.

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San Piero a Grado

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Some ten km north of Livorno, between Pisa and Marina di Pisa, lies this Romanesque basilica. The magnificent San Piero a Grado.

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It was built in the 10th century on the grounds of at least one earlier church, and before that a Roman structure. The previous buildings are visible both in the exterior and internally.

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Like here, where 8th century carved marble blocks have been integrated in the facade.

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The interior of the basilica has the classic three naves but is unusual in the rest of the layout. To the west, the main altar and three apses.

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And to the east, one single apse. Here you can also see remains of the older church, and some Roman walls.

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The columns are all different, with indivual capitals of various origins: Ionic, Corinthian, Syriac and some Medieval.

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The north and south walls are decorated with frescoes, dating from around year 1300 and painted by a Luccan artist.

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The frescoes depict the lives of saints Peter and Paul.

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According to tradition, this was the spot where St Peter landed on his journey from Antioch to Rome in 42 AD and in which he built the first altar on Italian soil.

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Nowadays San Piero is 6 km inland, although near river Arno. But in Roman times this was a port, in fact, it was a port already used by the Etruscans.

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Such splendid architecture and such rich history, tucked away in the Pisan countryside! A true window to the past.

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The Madonna of Montenero

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In these dark times…

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Villa Jana

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If you like quirky buildings, this might be something for you. In Quercianella, south Livorno, is Villa Jana, a medieval castle built in 1921. It doesn’t get much more quirky than this. Have a look:

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Villa Maurogordato

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Villa Maurogordato in southeast Livorno is part of the city’s grand European heritage, but is now sadly in decay.

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It got its name from the Livornese merchant of Greek origin, Pandely Maurogordato, who bought the villa in 1847. Before that it had been owned by a Polish prince, a Roman adventurer and a Russian consul.

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The colonnade in the garden, which is used by the public and are popular with dogwalkers.

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The once so grand greenhouse, added in the mid 1800’s.

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The pool. One can only imagine the grandeur of this place. The family had to abandon it during the second world war and the neglect begun. Despite numerous renovation projects, none was ever realised and the villa is sadly beyond salvation.

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The staircase of Ardenza

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A former Livornesi, now living in Sweden, told me his memories of the staircase of Ardenza. How he as a teenager used to take girls there for romantic sunsets. I would settle for watching the sea and the clouds 🙂

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