Old Fortress
The Old Fortress is one of the symbols of Livorno. It was laid down as early as the time of the Roman settlement, but it took its modern form in the 16th century thanks to Florentine Antonio da Sangallo. Sangallo began building the fortress in 1521 and completed it in 1534 under Alessandro de’ Medici. The historical value of the Old Fortress lies in the fact that it includes even older structures. For example, the square tower from 1103, the round tower from 1241-made of two cylinders-connected by a spiral stone staircase, and the Pisan “quadratura” - the square citadel built by Puccio di Landiccio and Francesco di Giovanni, located around the perimeter.
“Four Moors” Monument
The monument “The Four Moors” is one of the city’s symbols. It is located near the port and the Old Fortress. On the pedestal stands a statue of Ferdinand I de’ Medici (by Giovanni Bandini, 1595), and at the bottom there are four bronze statues (by Pietro Tacca, 1623-1626) symbolizing pirates linked by a chain.
New Fortress
Not far from the Old Fortress is the New one. The New Fortress was built according to the design by Bernardo Buontalenti and Giovanni de’ Medici at the end of the 16th century. Subsequently, the nearby district of “New Venice” grew, and the fortress was reduced. Today, the fortress houses a park, abandoned remains of the fortress, and dozens of cats.
New Venice District
This quarter best characterizes Livorno. Numerous canals, houses of Livornese architecture-all of this was laid out in the first decade of the 17th century. The “New Venice” quarter and the New Fortress face Livorno’s central square-the Piazza della Republica (piazza della Republica). The spacious square appeared in 1840, and it is adorned with two huge statues of the great dukes Ferdinand III and Leopold II.
