Reasons for loving the Terrazza Mascagni #19

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Sometimes, after heavy rains, there is the sea on one side of the balustrade, and a lake on the other.

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Colori

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Saturated colours in the afternoon light. Via Marradi.

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Canal tour

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What better way to experience a water city than from the water? Livorno has lovely canals and a large port, so for my next visit I plan to be a proper tourist and take the boat tour.

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Leopolda station

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The San Marco railway station, also called Leopolda. It is the oldest in Tuscany, built in 1844.

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The station is closed, and it has lost most of its rails. But the buildings are still in use, possibly as housing for train workers? I’ll ask my conductor friend again…

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Fortezza Nuova outlook

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Fortezza Nuova. The new fortress (16th century) that sits slap bang in the middle of Livorno’s historic centre. Surrounded by water on all sides, this small footbridge is the only way to access the fortress, which now is a public park with an exhibition hall.

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Although the park was closed to the public, I was able to come in and take some photos. The fortress offers great views over the city centre. Here Piazza Garibaldi and Scali delle Cantine.

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Scali del Pontino (the little bridge) and Via Solferino that stretches all the way to Porta San Marco.

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Pontino and the northern part of Venezia, the cranes of the container port in the distance.

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Harbour glimpse

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A man mending fishing nets on his boat in the afternoon sun.

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Modigliani’s house

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The painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani was born in Livorno, in this house in Via Roma. The second floor has been made in to a museum which opens on weekends on request. Luckily, my landlord and his family were the initiators of the museum, so I got a private viewing Sunday morning. And was able to photograph, which is otherwise not allowed.

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The museum apartment contains no original works of Modigliani’s, but lots of photos and letters as well as reproductions. I was told all floors were original though, they are quite spectacular with different tiles in every room.

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In what was originally the kitchen you can see photos of Amedeo’s grandmother, who ran a private school in the building. My landlord is related to the Modigliani family and his mother went to this school.

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I found it moving that the old sink was still there.

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Again, marvellous floor tiles beneath some great photo portraits of the artist. He was quite a looker!

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Amedeo in his Paris studio.

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One room in the museum flat, the one with the hypnotic 3D floor, is dedicated to contemporary artists paying homage to Modigliani or copying his style. This is the one I liked the best, I think it’s quite clever:

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Should you want to visit the Modigliani birthplace museum, please contact Cooperativa Amaranta at 320 88 87 044 or the tourist office.

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Street life

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Two attempts at street photography.
First an interrupted lunch nap in Piazza Barriera Garibaldi.

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Not everyone is as easily disturbed.
The Boss owns the street, near Piazza XX Settembre.

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Mr Postman

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Letterbox.

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Four consecutives in Magenta

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Don’t try this kids. Don’t stand in the middle of Via Magenta. This photo is deceptive. It is really a very busy street and chances are you’ll be run over quite quickly. But since I wanted this shot for you, I gambled a bit. We’re aiming for the grand church, Santa Maria del Soccorso.

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As we come closer and the Piazza della Vittoria park expands on both sides, we find this war monument with Victory at the top. She gave the piazza it’s name. Although people still use the old name, Piazza Magenta.

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Santa Maria del Soccorso is the largest church in Livorno. Standing in front of the giant doors you feel how impressive it is. That feeling is not diminished as we enter. This church goes on forever. Built in the mid 1800’s its interior was designed to emulate Brunelleschi’s Santo Spirito in Florence.

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A neo-Gothic dream ruined

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This is the Fosso Reale canal with the Dutch church to the right. I have written about this Chiesa degli Olandesi before. Thanks to Giacomo of Livorno Daily Photo and Matteo Giunti of Livorno delle Nazioni I was able to go inside during my last trip and see the interior.

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This picture from the organ gallery gives an idea of both the beauty and the devastation of the church hall. Large parts of the ceiling have fallen in, but the roof is still intact.

(For this and the following two photos I owe Stefano Ceccarini a big thanks. He kindly brought my camera where I didn’t dare go myself.)

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Except for over the vestry where it collapsed a few years ago, leaving free way to both rain and pidgeons.

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Sadly, the pidgeons have easy access through the broken stained windows as well.

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The floor is completely covered in bird droppings. The stench is heavy.

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This church was built for the Dutch-German congregation and was finished in 1864. I learned that there actually is a connection between my home country and this building, since Sweden helped raising funds to erect it. One of many links between Sweden and Livorno.
So can’t we join in and help save this gem before it is too late?

The Facebook group Salviamo la Chiesa degli Olandesi is found here. More information also through the Livorno delle Nazioni website.

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