Sights in Livorno
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Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscan
According to local legend, when Venus rose from the waves, seven precious stones fell from her tiara, creating seven islands off the Tuscan coast. They range from the 530 sq km of Elba, the largest, to tiny Montecristo, at just over 1000 hectares. All except Montecristo, nowadays a closed marine biological reserve, rely mainly on income from tourism. This national park was established in 1996 to protect the delicate ecosystems of the islands.
But it's not only the land that's protected - the 60,000 hectares of sea that washes around the islands make up Europe's largest marine protected area. Here, typical Mediterranean fish abound and rare species, such as the wonderfully…
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Beaches
The Etruscan Coast (Costa degli Etruschi) begins south of Livorno. The town's beaches stretch for some way southwards but they are pebbly and generally nothing special. Overlooking a few are some grand old seaside villas that merit more than a glance. Bus No 1 from the main train station heads down the coast road, passing via the town centre and Porto Mediceo.
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A
Fortezza Nuova
The Fortezza Nuova, built for the Medici family in the late 16th century, is in an area known as Piccola Venezia (Little Venice) because of its small canals. The interior is now a park and little remains of the fort except for the sturdy outer walls.
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B
Fortezza Vecchia
Close to the waterfront, the Fortezza Vecchia was constructed 60 years earlier on the site of an 11th-century building. With huge vertical cracks and bits crumbling away, it looks as though it might give up and slide into the sea at any moment.
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C
Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo
Livorno’s hands-on Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo is an exhaustive, first-rate museum experience for the natural sciences. Temporary exhibits rotate continually.
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D
Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori
The Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori, in a pretty park 1km south of the city, features works by the Livorno-based 19th-century Macchiaioli school.
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E
Cathedral
The city's unspectacular cathedral, designed by visiting British architect Inigo Jones, was later used by Jones as a model for the layout of Covent Garden.
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