Spianata dei Cavalleggeri was the ancient name of the open space on which the present Terrazza Mascagni was built in 1927. The name referred to a fort, which existed here, manned by nine volunteer knights assigned to the coastal defense service and, commanded by a lieutenant.
The fort (built in 1595 and demolished in 1872), had the stables on the ground floor and the riflemen's lodgings on the first floor; in 1837 the esplanade was enlarged by filling the adjacent cove called Cala dei Cavalleggeri. From 1945 it took its name from the Livorno musician and composer Pietro Mascagni.
The seafront position, often stormy, and the intriguing checkerboard pavement make it one of the most evocative places in the city, especially at sunset, and most loved by citizens for walks along the coast in all seasons. The first film reviews in Italy took place here in the nineteenth century. At the center of this large viewpoint there is a gazebo for music, a reconstruction of the one destroyed by the war and until the 1960s it often hosted an amusement park. Finally, attached to the terrace there is also a small but interesting Aquarium.