Livorno

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Livorno, Italy

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	43°33.01′N, 10°17.63′E
	Photo gallery
	Local chartlet
Livorno harbour from E - Click for larger view

The industrial port of Livorno (also known to English speakers as Leghorn) lies 26 miles S of Viareggio on the Tuscan coast of Italy. It is a popular destination for cruise ships disembarking passengers for visits to Florence and Pisa. The port first took shape during the reign of the Medicis in Florence in the 15th and 16th centuries, when the harbour and the numerous canals were constructed to facilitate the storage and movement of goods within the city. Livorno’s heyday was the 17th and 18th centuries, when its status as a free port and the volume of goods passing through its busy harbour and warehouses made it one of the most important ports in Italy. The local economy suffered greatly during the Napoleonic Wars, when the French-imposed block on trade with England decimated the trade passing through the port. With the loss of its free port status on becoming part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1868, Livorno’s golden age was finally over. The coup de grace was administered by the Allies in July 1943, when the harbour area was flattened by bombing raids at the start of the campaign to defeat the Axis forces in Italy. Nevertheless, enough of Livorno’s Renaissance and earlier architecture survives to give visitors a hint of its former glories. The port offers 120 yacht berths managed by the local yacht club, some of which are theoretically allocated for yachts in transit.

Local Weather

The prevailing winds along the Tuscan coast are from NW or W and are mostly moderate, rarely rising above force 5. Close inshore, a yacht will often encounter SE or even S winds, especially around the offshore islands, or long periods of calm. A depression passing to the N along the line of the Alps will sometimes cause a libeccio, a strong SW wind that occasionally reaches gale force and causes a heavy swell. In winter, the tramontana is a very strong N or NE wind that blows down off the Alps and can affect most of the NW coast of Italy.

Sources for weather information:

• There is a continuous (computerised voice) weather forecast on VHF 68 - first in Italian and then followed with an English translation
• The same forecast is given in Italian and English on VHF coastal stations following a notification on channel 16
• Navtex weather forecasts are broadcast from stations at La Garde (Toulon), Roma and Cagliari (Sardinia)

Charts

British Admiralty

1998 - Nice to Livorno

Italian

909

4

120

Radio Nets

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Approach and Navigation

The main hazard in the approach is the reef of Secche della Meloria two miles offshore, over which depths shoal to less than a metre. The shoal is marked by light towers at the N and S extremity and an E cardinal mark on the inshore side. The entrance to Livorno is protected by two detached breakwaters and access is either from WSW through the southern entrance (depths of 9.0 - 10.0 metres) or from due N through the northern entrance (depths of 6.0 - 7.0 metres). If entering from N, take care to keep to the centre of the channel to avoid the shoal areas to either side.

Berthing options

Pontoon in the Porto Mediceo
Click for larger view

Yachts proceed through the outer harbour and into the inner basin, Porto Mediceo (entrance: 43°33.1′N, 10°17.8′E), where there are 120 laid moorings on a long pontoon and on the quay which are administered by the Yacht Club Livorno Website. Try calling them on VHF channel 09 on arrival or moor at a convenient berth and visit the clubhouse opposite the pontoon. For advance reservations, telephone: +39 0586 896142 or e-mail: Email. Depths in the basin range from 3.0 - 4.0 metres. Maximum length 30 metres. Shelter is good in winds from all directions. Showers and toilets at the yacht club.

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

• Yacht Club Livorno.

Anchorages

In settled weather, a yacht can anchor off the small craft harbour of Porticciolo Nazario Saura at the S end of the outer harbour, and due E of the green starboard pillar marker. Depths here are 2.5 - 5.0 metres. The anchorage is too exposed in even moderate winds from NW round to S.

Offshore Islands and Groups

• Capraia
• Elba
• Giglio

Yacht Repairs and Services

Marine Stores

Submit addresses and contact details of marine related businesses that are of interest to cruisers.

Repairs/Yards

Slipway. Fixed crane at yacht club (15 T). Travel lift. Outdoor and indoor storage. Engine, electrical and electronic repairs. Wood, fiberglass and steel hull repairs. Sail repairs. Divers.

Fuel, Water, & Electricity

Fuel station on the quay at the S end of Porto Mediceo (0800 - 1200 and 1400 - 1900). Some water and electrical outlets on the pontoon (but not at every berth).

Things to do Ashore

Tourism

Enough of ancient Livorno survives to make it an interesting walk around the canals extending from the harbour into the old town, where some of the city’s former merchant's houses still stand. The Fortezza Vecchia at the N end of Porto Mediceo was constructed in the 16th century on the orders of the Medici family, while the larger Fortezza Nuova was built some 60 years later on an island site amongst the town’s network of canals. Also of interest is the early 19 century Baroque church of S. Ferdinando and a renowned 17th century Monument to the Medici Grand Duke Ferdinando I, called the `Four Moors'.

Fortezza Vecchia

Fortezza Nuova

Four Moors statue, Livorno

Grocery & Supply Stores

• Provisions shops in the town, a short walk away

Eateries

• Numerous restaurants and bars in the town.

Internet/WiFi

None (2010).

Laundry

Motorbike & Car Rentals

• Rental outlets in the town.

Garbage Disposal

Bins at the yacht club.

Transportation

Transportation (local and/or international)

• Domestic and international flights from Galileo Galilei airport (20 kilometers away)
• Trains to Pisa and Rome
• Ferries to Corsica and Sardinia

Routes/Passages To/From

Popular passages/routes, timing, etc.

Cruiser's Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

External Links

Links to relevant websites.

References & Publications

See Italy.

Personal Notes

Personal experiences?

Last Visited & Details Checked (and updated here)

Date of member's visit to this Port/Stop & this page's details validated:

• Data compiled from web research (please update if possible) --Athene of Lymington 15:06, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

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