Fortezza Vecchia (Livorno)

Fortezza Vecchia of Livorno
A journey through time to discover Livorno's past
Crossing the threshold of the Old Fortress, sister of the younger New Fortress, you will be transported back in time, to the very place where the first nucleus of the city was born and developed. Built in the sixteenth century by order of Cosimo I De' Medici, this architectural jewel is a real treasure trove of hidden treasures and in reality much more than a simple military fortress. We are dealing with the true guardian of Livorno's roots.
The massive red walls, the imposing ramparts rising from the sea, the towers, the coats of arms, the tombstones and the marble details of this Renaissance work of art tell in fact of a past of greatness and resistance, revealing the genius and deeds of the men who shared its history.
From the top of the walls you can also enjoy a breathtaking view. You will see Livorno and its port from a unique perspective, while on the horizon the Tyrrhenian Sea spreads out and gets lost in the blue sky.
A fortress with the history of Livorno inside
The Old Fortress was built starting in 1519 on a project by one of the most famous military architects of the time, Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, and is characterized by an asymmetrical structure that includes three large bastions: that of the Ampolletta, facing the city, that of the Canaviglia towards the port and that of the Capitana to the north-east.
The internal structure is a real cross-section of the history of the city: it includes the remains of the medieval tower with a square plan (around 1077) that marked the first port of Livorno, the keep of Mathilda (around 1241) and the fortification walls of the ancient Quadratura dei Pisani, still visible (around 1377). From the Portus Pisanus to the Medici, from the Lorraine to the Napoleonic occupations, from the uprisings of the Risorgimento to the deep scars of the Second World War, the Old Fortress has accompanied Livorno and the people of Livorno in all eras, giving them the beloved certainty of an ever-present reference.
Text / Source: Livorno Turistico, Largo del Cisternino, 13 - 57123 Livorno (LI) - Italy
visit-livorno.it/attrazione/fortezza-vecchia

The "Fortezza Vecchia" stands out for its size and the particular reddish color of its bricks on the side of the Medici Port and constitutes, together with the nearby complex of statues "Quattro Mori", the symbol and most characteristic monument of the city of Livorno.
It is an imposing sixteenth-century fortification built to protect the port and the nearby fishing village from which the city of Livorno would later be born.
It was built between 1521 and 1534 by Antonio da Sangallo (designer of numerous other Medici fortresses) on behalf of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici - the future Pope Clement VII - incorporating the already existing fortifications: a Roman tower of which few remains are visible , the beautiful Mastio di Matilde, a massive cylindrical tower built by the marquises of Tuscany in the 9th century and the "Quadratura dei Pisani", a wall built in 1377 by the Maritime Republic of Pisa (which in the Middle Ages used this area as a commercial port until 15th century, when it came under Florentine rule).
The Fortress, initially surrounded by ditches, remained practically an island until a stretch to the north-west was filled in, joining it to the mainland. It has an asymmetric pentagonal shape and is made up of three bastions (instead of the four planned): the one to the south-west called the "Canaviglia" (where a small palace built in 1580 by order of Francesco I dei Medici stands), the one on the opposite side , to the north-east, called the "Capitana", and the intermediate one called "Ampolletta".
During the Napoleonic invasion in 1796, the ramparts in front of the city were raised by French soldiers and equipped with slits for the cannons.
The Fortress was seriously damaged by the bombings of 1943. It is currently in a serious state of decay (a deep crack is visible in the "Capitana" bastion), but important restoration works are underway.

Interesting fact:
It was from here that both Giovanni da Verrazzano and Amerigo Vespucci set sail in the 16th century, crossing the Atlantic to reach the new continent. This was also the port where the fleet of the Knights of Santo Stefano, the religious order of chivalry founded by Cosimo de' Medici to counter the raids of the Barbary pirates who plagued the Mediterranean, was moored. Here, in a lavish ceremony, Maria de' Medici embarked to marry Henry IV, King of France. Galileo also came here to test how the telescope he had perfected could be used aboard a ship in rough seas, but an exceptional calm thwarted his attempt.