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Italian Culture Newsletter Number 22

A Virtual Train Journey along the Mare Ligure from to .

Marie and I have made this journey on a number of occasions. In doing so we have either made the journey in a single day albeit with a change of train, usually at Genova. On other occasions, we have spent an evening or even a few days at Genova and/or at or .

The journey described will involve more stops on the way but could be more interesting on that account.

The trip begins in Ventimiglia where we stayed overnight on our last day of our last holiday in . This had been occasioned by the French railway strike which prevented any trains from running from Ventimiglia to Nice on the day of our arrival from Rome into the at the Italian- French border in .

Our first visit to Ventimiglia was in 2006 when some Italian friends from Cuneo, due north of Ventimiglia, in Piemonte, met us at the rail station in Ventimiglia to take us for a short stay at their apartment in Nice. On that occasion we didn’t see much of the city except for part of the old medieval town, which now mostly is the home of many of the southerners from , and who moved north seeking employment after WWII. The old town is perched high above the new city with its long sea-front promenade and railway station. Ventimiglia is the ancient Albium Intemelium, the capital of the Intemelii, a Ligurian tribe which long resisted the Romans, until in 115 BC it was forced to submit to Marcus Aemilius Scaurus. Albintimilium became a municipium in 89 BC. In AD 69 the city was sacked by the army of Otho and Vitellius, but recovered to remain prosperous into the 5th century, surrounded by strong walls.

In the Gothic Wars it was besieged by the Byzantines and the Goths, and later suffered from the raids of , King of the , but flourished again under Rodoald. In the 10th century it was attacked by the Saracens of Fraxinet. After a period as an independent commune, it was ruled by the Counts of Ventimiglia, and often had to defend itself from attacks by the of .

In 1139 the Genoese attacked it by land and sea and forced it to surrender; the count continued to hold the city and his title as a vassal of the victors. The city rebelled more than once against the Genoese and sided with their enemies, the Tuscan city states.

In 1271 during a war with Genoa its podestà Luca Grimaldi was captured. Ventimiglia was temporarily held by the dukes of Savoy (1389 and 1746) and King Ladislaus of Naples (1410). In 1505 it was annexed to the Genoese Republic, sharing its history until the early .

Roman theatre. In 1269 the Count of Ventimiglia, Gugliemo Pietro I Balbo married Eudossia Laskaris, daughter of Theodore II Laskaris initiating the dynasty of the Lascaris of Tenda. They maintained the sovereign County of Tenda until 1501 when the last of them, Anne Lascaris, married Renato of Savoy (René de Savoie) and transferred the County to a junior branch of Savoy dynasty. The most famous member of this branch of the Lascaris was Beatrice of Tenda, subject of Bellini’s opera.

Above: [L] the Ligurian coastline ay Ventimiglia and [R] Centro Storico

The Journey Day 1. The idea is that we travel to Rome, changing trains 3 times and stopping for 2 nights in Genoa and 3 nights in Livorno. Other places on the route will be described as if we’re dipping into a guide book. The first stage of the rail journey will take us through , San Remo, , Alassio, Albenga, Loana and then , which we shall be our first brief stop.

We once stayed in Albenga, which reminded me a little of Eastbourne, but was less elegant. A car ride to San Remo introduced me to the pleasure of the Italian dessert, “affogato” - ice cream ‘drowned’ in espresso coffee, which has remained one of my favourite puddings, albeit now off limits - too sweet!

We leave on the Thello 139 at 09:10 AM arriving at Savona at 10:31 AM (Two tickets 42€ 1st class, 31€ std).

Savona Inhabited in ancient times by tribes, it came under Roman influence in c. 180 BC, after the Punic wars in which the city had been allied to . At the fall of the Western Roman , it passed under Lombard rule in 641 AD and it was destroyed during the assault on the city, after a short period as an Ostrogoth and then a Byzantine possession. Later it recovered as a county seat in the . In the 10th century its bishops were counts of Savona, but later the title passed to the marquesses of (981) and afterwards to the marquesses Del Vasto (1084).

After a long struggle against the Saracens, Savona acquired independence in the , becoming a free municipality allied with the (Holy Roman) Emperor. Savona was a centre of religious culture (13th to 16th centuries) owing to the influence of two important monasteries: one Dominican, the other Franciscan. Subsequently, it fought against Genoa before being definitively conquered in 1528. The Genoese destroyed the upper town and buried the port. It then shared the fortunes of the until Napoleonic times. In 1809 the city gave shelter to Pius VII, prisoner of Bonaparte, for a few years. Between April and mid-May 1800, Austrian forces besieged the city while a small British naval force maintained a blockade; the fortress surrendered on 15 May. Subsequently, Savona was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardegna-Piemonte (1815). Eventually, it became part of unified Italy.

Main sights and fortress The Torre Leon Pancaldo (Leon Pancaldo ), built in the 14th century and also known as "Torretta", is the iconic symbol of the town.

The Torre del Brandale (Brandale Tower), also known as Campanassa (Commune tower, where the freedom declaration of Savona was signed in 1191 and towers Corsi and Riario.

The Priamar fortress, built by the Genoese in 1542 after their conquest of Savona, on the area of the old cathedral and old city and later used as a prison and military gaol. In 1830-1831 was imprisoned in the fortress and he "dreams of" the "Giovine Italia" ( a movement he formed). Inside the fortress is the Museum Centre of Priamar.

The church of Our Lady of Priamar Fortress Mercy

Palaces and others

The Palazzo (Della Rovere ), built by Cardinal Giulio della Rovere (future Pope Julius II) and designed by Giuliano da Sangallo as a university. The Palazzo Gavotti (Gavotti Palace), built in the 15th century. Inside the palace there is the Art Museum of Palazzo Gavotti that contains the Pinacoteca of Savona, the artwork of Fondazione Museo di Arte Contemporanea Milena Milani in memoria di Carlo Cardazzo and the new Ceramic Museum. The Palazzo Delle Piane (Delle Piane Palace) - below, the most important building in the Liberty (inspired by the Liberty store in the West End of ) style in Savona.

In the of Savona remains a house documented as property of Domenico Colombo, father of , where they lived for many years (Christopher Columbus lived in Savona for much of his youth).

But we must now rush for the 16:05 train to Genoa - arriving at Genova Piazza Principe at 17:05 (Regionale 11265 9.80€). Our hotel for the night is the Hotel Grand Savoia a due passe (very close - literally at two paces) from the station as the estate agents would put it.

Grand Savoia - Above Exterior, Lounge bar and (Right) Terrace Restaurant and café

Leaving the railway station in the Piazza Principe is a large memorial to Christopher Columbus - Genoa’s most (in)famous(?) son, possibly. The monument is at the left of the picture of the exterior of the Grand Savoia Hotel.

The Grand Savoia is a jjjj j star hotel which somehow manages to charge jjj prices. From the top floor there is a magnificent view over the port; there are usually several huge cruise docked. Usually, when we stay for several days in Genoa we take one of the funicular systems to the upper part of the city. There are at least 4 funicular systems; there are trains on chain pulleys, lifts, and one is a combination of both systems. They are remarkably inexpensive.

If, as on this occasion, it is two nights stay we eat in the centre (near the Opera House) or near sea front. On the way we walk along Via Garibaldi - a really magnificent street (pedestrianised). (Right) Via Garibaldi at night

Piazza de Ferrari - 0pera house at left with tall columns.

Behind the Opera House is a covered second-hand book market which is surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants. For the price of a glass of Prosecco one gets so many ‘nibbles’ that one is in danger of leaving no room for supper. has a similar custom.

Medieval and Genoa Before 1100, Genoa emerged as an independent city-, one of a number of Italian city-states established during this period. Nominally, the was sovereign and the Bishop of Genoa was ; however, actual power was wielded by a number of annually elected by popular assembly. Genoa was one of the states known as Repubbliche Marinare along with , Pisa, and . Trade, shipbuilding, and banking helped support one of the largest and most powerful navies in the Mediterranean. There is an old saying that says: Genuensis ergo mercator, or "A Genoese therefore a " but the Genoese were skilled sailors and ferocious warriors in addition.

In 1098, it is said the ashes of , now the patron saint of the city, arrived in Genoa. The Adorno, Campofregoso, and other smaller merchant families all fought for power in this republic, as the power of the consuls allowed each family faction to gain wealth and power in the city. The Republic of Genoa extended over modern Liguria, , , , and Nice, and had practically complete control of the . Through Genoese participation in the , colonies were established in the , the , Sicily, and Northern Africa. The cronista, or chronicler, of the Genoese vicissitudes was Caffaro di Rustico da Caschifellone and the hero and military leader was Guglielmo Embriaco called Testadimaglio meaning "mallet head" . Genoese Crusaders brought home a green glass goblet (the Holy Chalice) from the , which the Genoese have long regarded as the Holy Grail. In his “Golden Legend”, the Archbishop of Genoa, Jacobus de Voragine relates the history of the Holy Grail. Not all of Genoa's merchandise was so innocuous, however, as medieval Genoa became a major player in the slave trade. The Genoese have a claim to the creation of the rough denim cloth then called "Blue Jean", from which derives the modern name of jeans, used by sailors for work and to cover and protect their goods on the docks from the weather. During the Republic of Genoa, Genoese and sailors exported this cloth throughout . The production of Genoese lace was also notable.

The collapse of the was offset by Genoa's alliance with the . As Venice's relations with the Byzantines were temporarily disrupted by the and its aftermath (the Venetian plunder of ), Genoa was able to enhance its power, taking advantage of the opportunity to expand into the and . Internal feuds between the powerful families, the Grimaldi and Fieschi, the , Spinola and others, caused much disruption, but in general the republic was run much as a business affair.

In 1218–1220 Genoa was served by the Guelph podestà Rambertino Buvalelli, who probably introduced Occitan literature, which was soon to attract such troubadours as Jacme Grils, Lanfranc Cigala and Bonifaci Calvo, to the city. During this time, 1218–1219, a Genoese fleet under Simone Doria with the famous Genoese pirate Alamanno da Costa participated in the Siege of Damietta. The alliance between Byzantines and Genoese suffered after the Battle of Settepozzi.

Genoa's political zenith came with its victory over the at the naval Battle of in 1284, and with a temporary victory over its rival, Venice, at the naval Battle of Curzola in 1298 during the Venetian-Genoese Wars. The Genoese navy was on a par with the and both had the power to rule the sea. There were, though, conflicts between Byzantines and Genoese with the Genoese occupation of .

The period of prosperity did not last. The is said to have been imported into Europe in 1347 from the Genoese trading post at Caffa in the Crimea on the Black Sea. Following the economic and population collapse that resulted, Genoa adopted the Venetian model of government and was presided over by the of Genoa. The wars with Venice continued, and the (1378–1381) – during which Genoa almost managed to decisively subdue Venice – ended with Venice's recovery of dominance in the Adriatic. In 1390, Genoa initiated the Barbary Crusade, with help from the French, and laid siege to , the Fatimid capital of Ifriqiya.

Genoa history in the 15th century seems to have been tumultuous. The city had a strong tradition of trading goods from the Levant and its financial expertise was recognised all over Europe. After a period of French domination from 1394 to 1409, Genoa came under the rule of the Visconti of and it lost Sardinia to , Corsica to internal revolt, and its Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and Asia Minor colonies to the .

In the 15th century two of the earliest in the world were founded in Genoa: the of , founded in 1407, which was the oldest chartered bank in the world until its closure in 1805 and the , founded in 1483, which still exists.

Genoa was able to stabilise its position as it moved into the 16th century, particularly as a result of the efforts of Doge , who granted a new constitution in 1528 that made Genoa a satellite of the , of particular significance is the 1571. Some Genoese enjoyed remarkable careers in the service of the Spanish crown: notably the maritime explorers Juan Bautista Pastene and Leon Pancaldo, the general Ambrogio Spinola, the naval captain Giovanni della Croce Bernardotte and Jorge Burgues. In the period of economic recovery which followed, many aristocratic Genoese families, such as the Balbi, Doria, Grimaldi, Pallavicini and Serra, amassed tremendous fortunes.

The Genoese Pietro Vesconte, Giovanni da Carignano and Battista Beccario were pioneers in cartography. Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, donated one-tenth of his income from the discovery of the on behalf of to the in Genoa for the relief of general taxation on food. The famous Genoese navigator , a contemporary of Columbus, discovered northern parts of North America when sailing under the commission of Henry VII of .

View of Genoa in 1572 At the time of Genoa's zenith in the 16th century, the city attracted many artists including Rubens, and Van Dyck. The great architect Galeazzo Alessi (1512–1572) designed many of the city's splendid palazzi, and Bartolomeo Bianco (1590–1657) designed the centrepieces of the . A number of Genoese and Rococo artists settled elsewhere and a number of local artists became prominent. In the late sixteenth century, Luca Cambiaso, known as the founder of the of painting, went on to earn the largest payment then recorded (2,000 ) for a work for Philip II of Spain in the Escorial palace in Madrid.

In the 17th century, however, Genoa entered a period of crisis. In May 1625, a French-Savoian army invaded the republic but was successfully driven out by the combined Spanish and Genoese armies. In 1656–57, a new outburst of plague killed as many as half of the population. In May 1684, as a punishment for Genoese support for Spain, the city was subjected to a French naval bombardment with some 13,000 cannonballs aimed at the city. Genoa was eventually occupied by in 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession. This episode in the city's history is mainly remembered for the Genoese revolt, precipitated by a legendary boy named Giovan Battista Perasso and nicknamed Balilla who threw a stone at an Austrian official and became a national hero to later generations of Genoese, and in general. Unable to retain its rule in Corsica, where the rebel was proclaimed in 1755, Genoa was forced by the rebellion to sell its claim to Corsica to the French, under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles of 1768.

Below are three iconic buildings of Genoa. There are many remarkable buildings and areas of this unsung city.

Left. Duomo di San Lorenzo. Centre. Il Palazzo Reale Right. Porta Soprano medieval gates Palazzo Ducale (Left)

(Below) The commercial port.

Modern Genoa In the post-war years, Genoa played a pivotal role in the , as the third corner of the so-called Industrial Triangle, formed with the manufacturing hubs of Milan and Turin. Since 1962, the Genoa International Boat Show has evolved into one of the largest annual events in Genoa. The city became an important industrial centre, giving rise to manufacturers of diving equipment (Cressi-Sub, Mares, and Techisub SpA); ferries (GNV and Home Lines, and the "OSN-Orizzonti Sistemi Navali"); oil production ("IP-Italiana Petroli"); textiles (SLAM); food services ("Elah Dufour" and "Sogegross"); construction ("FISIA-Italimpianti"), and, for a time, nuclear reactors (NIRA, which closed after the Chernobyl disaster).

The 27th G8 summit in the city, in July 2001, was overshadowed by violent protests (Anti-globalisation movement), with one protester, Carlo Giuliani, killed. In 2007, 15 officials, including police, prison officials and two doctors, were found guilty by an Italian court of mistreating protesters. Their prison sentences ranged from five months to five years. In 2004, the European Union designated Genoa as the European Capital of Culture, along with the French city of Lille. In 2009 the Genoese actor and political activist Beppe Grillo founded the .

In 2011, Genoa, like other European cities, suffered disastrous flooding. In 2013, 11 deaths resulted from the collapse of the control tower of Genoa's port after being hit by the cargo Jolly Nero. In 2014, the sunken wreck from the Costa Concordia was transported to the port of Genoa to be broken up.

14 August 2018 was a black day for Genoa: the Ponte Morandi bridge collapsed, killing 43 people. The Port of Genoa by night

Stazione Genova Piazza Principe Santa Maria Assunta di Carignano, Genoa

Breakfast room, Grand Savoia

Panorama of Genoa Day 3. Two nights and a day in Genoa and after an excellent breakfast at the Grand Savoia (above) we return to Piazza Principe for the 8:51 AM Intercity 505 train to Pisa (2 1st class tickets at 19.90€ each).

The train will stop at: Genova Brignole, , Chiavari, , Centrale, Masso Centro, and arrive at Pisa Centrale at 11:01 AM.

We shall pass through Boccadasse (home of Livia in “Montalbano”). We shall also travel through and see the gouged out marble mountains. Viareggio would be the station where one would change trains for Lucca and/or .

La Spezia - Spèza in the local Spezzino dialect is the capital city of the and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy.

La Spezia is the second largest city in the Liguria region, just after Genoa. Located roughly midway between Genoa and Pisa, on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and a major base. A significant railway junction, it is notable for its museums, for the Palio del Golfo rowing race, and for railway and boat links with the , including .

Abbey church of Santa Maria Assunta ("Our Lady of the Assumption", thirteenth century). It houses a considerable series of artworks, some of them originally from other suppressed religious institutes. They include an Incoronation of the Virgin by Andrea della Robbia, the Multiplication of Bread by Giovanni Battista Casoni and St. Bartholomew's Martyrdom by Luca Cambiaso.

Santa Maria Assunta, La Spezia

Castle of San Giorgio, recently restored, probably originated from a watchtower. A first castle is known to have been built by Niccolò Fieschi in 1262. In 1273 it was destroyed by the Genoese, and a new fortification, along with a new line of walls, was erected by the podesteria of La Spezia from 1371. Annexed to this, the Republic of Genoa added a new castle starting from 1607.

(Left) View of La Spezia (Above) Castel San Giorgio - La Spezia Carrara The word Carrara derives from a word meaning quarries. Below are some of the works of art created in Carrara marble.

Glasgow City Chamber - staircase in Carrara marble.

Michelangelo’s Pietà

In addition to the marble quarries, the city has of sculpture and fine arts and a museum of statuary and antiquities, and a yearly marble technology fair. The local marble is exported around the world, and marble from elsewhere is also fashioned and sculpted commercially here.

Marble quarry, Carrara

Carrara marble has been used since the time of . The Pantheon and Trajan's Column in Rome are constructed of it, and many sculptures of the Renaissance were carved from it. Below are the columns of Marcus Aurelius (left) in Piazza Colonna and of the Emperor Trajan in Trajan’s Forum - both in Rome. At the end of the 19th century Carrara became the cradle of anarchism in Italy, in particular among the quarry workers. The quarry workers, including the stone carvers, had radical beliefs that set them apart from others. Ideas from outside the city began to influence the Carrarese. Anarchism and general radicalism became part of the heritage of the stone carvers. According to a New York Times article of 1894 many violent revolutionists who had been expelled from and went to Carrara in 1885 and founded the first anarchist group in Italy. Carrara has remained a continuous 'hotbed' of anarchism in Italy, with several organizations located openly in the city. The Anarchist marble workers were also the driving force behind organising labour in the quarries and in the carving sheds. They were also the main protagonists of the revolt in January 1894.

In 1929, the municipalities of Carrara, Massa and were merged in a single municipality, called Apuania. In 1945 the previous situation was restored.

Carrara is the birthplace of the International Federation of Anarchists (IFA), formed in 1968. It surprises me that anarchists are organised sufficiently to create a federation. Arriving at Pisa we alight for a quick excursion to assist the effort tower to stop it the Tower from leaning any further - well, that’s how most people seem to want to be photographed.

Above. The Cathedral and behind it, the Baptistery, and the famous Campanile (the Tower). Right. Part of the old city wall.

After a leisurely lunch it’s back to Pisa Centrale for the 15:32 Regionale Veloce 3133 to Livorno. It’s a 16 minute trip and costs 2.60€ each.

The station at Livorno is quite a way out of town as we found on one occasion when our train arrived several hours late and we were not certin if there would be a taxi. There was, fortunately, although we had to wait for him to ferry a couple of other passenger first. There should be no such problem in mid- afternoon.

Livorno Livorna is mentioned for the first time in 1017 as a small coastal village, the port and the remains of a Roman tower under the rule of Lucca. In 1077, a tower was built by Matilda of . The Republic of Pisa owned Livorna from 1103 and built a quadrangular fort called Quadratura dei Pisani - The quarter of the Pisans to defend the port. was destroyed after the crushing defeat of the Pisan fleet in the Battle of Meloria in 1284. In 1399, Pisa sold Livorna to the Viscount of Milan; in 1405 it was sold to the Republic of Genoa; and on 28 August 1421 it was bought by the . The name 'Leghorn' derives from Genoese name Ligorna there was possibly a very gutteral pronunciation of the middle of the word, and it may not have been spelt with a “g” as there was no standardised way of writing Italian. Livorno was used certainly in the eighteenth century by Florentines.

Between 1427 and 1429, a census counted 118 families in Livorno, comprising 423 persons. However, monks, , military personnel, and the homeless were not included in the census. The only remainder of medieval Livorno is a fragment of two towers and a wall, located inside the Fortezza Vecchia.

Fortezza Vecchia - Livorno

After the arrival of the de Medici, the ruling dynasty of Florence, some modifications were made; between 1518 and 1534 the Fortezza Vecchia was constructed, and the voluntary resettlement of the population to Livorno was stimulated, but Livorno still remained a rather insignificant coastal fortress. By 1551, the population had grown to 1562 residents.

During the , when it was ruled by the of the , Livorno was designed as an "Ideal town". In 1577 the architect Bernardo Buontalenti drew up the first plan. The new fortified town had a pentagonal design, for which it is called Pentagono del Buontalenti, incorporating the original settlement. The Porto Mediceo was overlooked and defended by towers and fortresses leading to the town centre.

In the late 1580s, Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, declared Livorno a free port (porto franco), which meant that the goods traded here were duty-free within the area of the town's control. In 1593, the Duke's administration established the Leggi Livornine to regulate the trade. These laws protected merchant activities from crime and racketeering, and instituted laws regarding international trade. The laws established a well-regulated market and were in force until 1603. Expanding Christian tolerance, the laws offered the right of public freedom of religion and amnesty to people who formerly had to gain penance given by clergy in order to conduct civil business. The Grand Duke attracted numerous Turks, Persians, Moors, , and Armenians, along with Jewish immigrants. Arrival of the last group began in the late sixteenth century with the Alhambra Decree, when the Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal - while Livorno extended to them rights and privileges; they contributed to the mercantile wealth and scholarship in the city.

Livorno became an enlightened European city and one of the most important ports of the entire Mediterranean Basin. Many European foreigners moved to Livorno. These included Christian Protestant reformers who supported such leaders as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others. French, Dutch, and English arrived, along with Orthodox Greeks. Meanwhile, Jews continued to trade under their previous treaties with the Grand Duke. On 19 March 1606, Ferdinando I de' Medici elevated Livorno to the rank of city; the ceremony was held in the Fortezza Vecchia Chapel of Francis of . Livorno's tolerance fell victim to the European wars of religion. But, in the preceding period, the merchants of Livorno had developed a series of trading networks with Protestant Europe, and the Dutch, British, and Germans worked to retain these. In 1653 a naval battle, the Battle of Leghorn was fought near Livorno during the First Anglo-Dutch War.

At the end of the 17th century, Livorno underwent a period of great urban planning and expansion. Near the defensive pile of the Old Fortress, a new fortress was built, together with the town walls and the system of navigable canals through neighborhoods. After the port of Pisa had silted up in the , its distance from the sea increased and it lost its dominance in trade, and Livorno took over as the main port of Tuscany. By 1745 Livorno's population had risen to 32,534 persons.

The more successful of the European powers re-established trading houses in the region, especially the British with the Levant Company. In turn, the trading networks grew, and with it, Britain's cultural contact with Tuscany. An increasing number of British writers, artists, philosophers, and travellers visited the area and developed the unique historical ties between the two communities. The British referred to the city as "Leghorn", and some (annoyingly - in my opinion) still do. Through the centuries, the city's trading fortunes fell and rose according to the success or failure of the Great Powers. The British and their Protestant allies were important to its trade.

During the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars of the late Eighteenth century, Napoleon's troops occupied Livorno with the rest of Tuscany. Under the Continental System, the French prohibited trade with Britain, and the economy of Livorno suffered greatly. The French had taken over all of Tuscany in 1808, and incorporated it into the Napoleonic empire. After the , Austrian rule replaced the French.

In 1861, Italy succeeded in its wars of unification. At that time Livorno had 96,471 inhabitants. It and Tuscany became part of the new and as part of the Kingdom the town lost its status as a free port and the city's commercial importance declined.

In 1629, Ferdinando II de' Medici decided to enlarge the town, in a project by Giovanni Battista Santi, northward in an area which included among Fortezza Vecchia and Fortezza Nuova, in order to give an adequate space to the maritime and commercial activities. There was the need to build a mercantile district, close to Porto Mediceo, provided with houses and depots to store the merchandise and a system of canals was created to facilitate their transport. The new district, called Venezia Nuova, was built in an area recovered from the sea, was intersected by canals and linked to the town by bridges, and skilled Venetian workers were recruited for this project. (Above left) Fortezza Nuova (New fort) (Above right) Piazza Grande & Duomo of St. Francis of Assisi

(Lower left) Venezia Nuova (Lower right) Chiesa Santa Caterina

In the Venezia Nuova was the district of the Consuls of the Nations and of the most important international retailers who had the warehouses filled with imported goods waiting to be shipped by sea to the many different destinations. The along the canals had the turrets from which to see the ships approaching the port, they also had the stores at the canal level to facilitate the unloading of the goods from the boats.

The Venezia Nuova district retains much of its original town planning and architectural features such as the bridges, narrow lanes, the houses of the , churches as Santa Caterina da and San Ferdinando, and a dense network of canals that once served to link its warehouses to the port.

Piazza della Republica Palazzo Comunale There is a lot to see in Livorno and it requires a two-day stay (at least) if it’s a first-time visit. It is also a pleasant place to use as a base to take in a beautiful coastal trip south to Cecina, and from there, perhaps, a bus ride to . One could also visit Pisa, Florence and, even. Siena.

Livorno also has occasional international food fairs and the largest bookshop we have ever visited, bigger even than any we have seen in New York. It is often roasting hot and there is not much shade from the sun but the port is well-worth a visit and there are numerous beautiful churches and other public buildings.

Day 6. (2 days and 3 nights in Livorno) We must move on and so we take a taxi back to Livorno Centrale for the train to Rome.

On this leg of the journey we shall pass through, among other places, Rosignano, Cecina, , , (the station, but not the city), Civitavecchia, Roma S. Pietro, Roma Trastevere, Roma Ostiense and terminating, appropriately at Roma Temini.

Cecina A settlement was founded here by the Roman Albinus Caecina, who was a descendant of an ancient Etruscan family. After the fall of the Western , the territory suffered a long period of decline, which only came to an end when the Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany began to develop local agriculture.

The modern town was founded in 1852, but a part of the city was destroyed during World War II. From the 1960s onwards, it has developed into a popular tourist resort.

When we have passed Follonica, the coast is left behind until we reach Albinia. Grosseto is the largest city on this section. Due west from Grosseto is the Island of , where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled before he broke his parole and returned over the (Route Napoleon) to to be defeated conclusively at Waterloo.

As, overall, this section of the trip is less interesting geographically we will take the Frecciabianca 8605 at 09:22 (1st class Economy 39.90€ each arriving at Roma Termini at 12:03.

However, here are bits of information about some of the towns and cities we shall race through.

Grosseto. The most interesting buildings in Grosseto appear to be the Cathedral church of San Lorenzo and the Palazzo Aldobrandeschi, somewhat reminiscent of buildings in the Campo in Siena.. Elba

Capoliveri, Elba Part of Elba’s south coast

Of course, we do not go through Elba but, nonetheless, here are some pictures from the island.

Schiaccia briaca - Elban drunken cake

From Albinia the track moves inland to Montalto di Castro and the next point of interest is Tarquinia, an ancient Etruscan town. DH Lawrence visited it when he was exploring Italy and wrote a very interesting description of it. The following is not the Lawrence version.

Tarquinii was one of the most ancient and important ; the ancient myths connected with Tarchuna (those of its eponymous founder —the son or brother of Tyrrhenus—and of the infant oracle , who gave the Etruscans the "disciplina etrusca"), all point to the antiquity and cultural importance of the city. Based on archaeological finds, Tarchuna eclipsed its neighbours well before the advent of written records. It is said to have been already a flourishing city when Demaratus of Corinth brought in Greek workmen.

Descendants of Demaratus, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, became kings of ancient Rome. Numerous Roman religious rites and ceremonies derived from Tarchuna, and even in imperial times a collegium of sixty haruspices continued to exist there.

The emergence of Tarchuna as a trading power as early as the 8th Century BC was influenced by its control of mineral resources located in the Tolfa Hills to the south of the city and midway to the Caeretan port of .

In 509 BC, after the overthrow of the Roman , the family of Tarquinius Superbus went into exile in . He sought to regain the throne at first by the Tarquinian conspiracy and, when that failed, by force of arms. He persuaded the cities of Tarchuna and to support him and led their armies against Rome in the Battle of Silva Arsia. Although the Roman army was victorious, it is recorded by Livy that the forces of Tarchuna fought well on the right wing, initially pushing back the Roman left wing. After the battle the forces of Tarchuna returned home.

At the end of the 5th century and during the first half of the 4th century BC a brief revival took place, both in the political and artistic sphere, probably under the ascendancy of the Spurinna family, whose members contributed to the renewed expansion of Tarchuna and the repopulation and growth of towns in the hinterland. The Spurinnas' tomb, known as the Tomba dell'Orco, is decorated with frescoes of a banquet uniting members of the family who are identified by inscriptions.

During this period, Tarchuna overtook Caere and other Etruscan cities in terms of power and influence. In this period colossal walls were built around the city in response to threats from the Celts and from Rome. Tarchuna, not affected by Celtic invasions, finally colonised all its previously held territories in about 385 BC. This new flourishing state allowed a rapid recovery of all activities. Large burial monuments decorated by paintings, with sarcophagi and funerary sculptures in stone, reflect the eminent social position of the new aristocratic classes, but several inscriptions on walls and sarcophagi show the gradual process of an increasingly democratic transition was taking place.

However, during the 4th century BC when Tarchuna's expansion was at its peak, a bitter struggle with Rome took place. In 358 BC, the citizens of Tarchuna captured and put to death 307 Roman soldiers; the resulting war ended in 351 BC with a forty years' truce, renewed for a similar period in 308 BC.

The main necropolis of Tarchuna, part of which was visited by Lawrence and can still be visited today, is the Monterozzi necropolis with some 6,000 tombs, at least 200 of which include beautiful wall paintings, and many of which were tombs with chambers carved in the rock below.

The painted scenes are of a quality virtually unrivalled elsewhere in the Etruscan world and give a valuable insight into the secretive world of the Etruscans which is rarely documented. They show banquets with dances and music, sporting events, occasional erotic and mythical scenes. In the late period underworld demons escorting the dead on their journey to the beyond including scenes in the nether world were depicted, and also processions of magistrates and other symbols of the rank of the eminent members of the families buried there.

Horses from the Ara della Regina The Temple Ara della Regina Measuring c. 44 × 25 m and dating to c. 4th–3rd century BC, it was built in tufa with wooden structures and decorations, notably the famous and exquisite frieze of winged horses in terracotta that is considered a masterpiece of .

Temple of Ara della Regina, Tarquinia Main square and Palazzo Comunale

The The last important city before we arrive in Rome is Civitavecchia. This is now, effectively, the port of Rome.

Civitavecchia The modern city was built over a pre-existing Etruscan settlement.

The harbour was constructed by the Emperor Trajan at the beginning of the 2nd century. The first occurrence of the name Centum Cellae is from a letter by Pliny the Younger (AD 107). The origin of the name is disputed: it has been suggested that it could refer to the centum ("hundred") halls of the villa of the emperor.

In the early (530s), Centumcellae was a Byzantine stronghold. It became part of the in 728. As the port was raided by the Saracens in 813–814, 828, 846 and finally in 876, a new settlement in a more secure place was therefore built by order of Pope Leo VII as soon as 854. The gave the settlement as a fief to several local lords, including the Count Ranieri of Civitacastellana and the Abbey of Farfa, and the Di Vico, who held Centumcellae in 1431. In that year, pope Eugene IV sent an army under cardinal Giovanni Vitelleschi and several condottieri (Niccolò Fortebraccio, Ranuccio Farnese and Menicuccio dell'Aquila among them) to recapture the place, which, after the payment of 4,000 florins, became thenceforth a full Papal possession, led by a vicar and a treasurer.

The place became a free port under Pope Innocent XII in 1696 and by the modern era was the main port of Rome. The French Empire occupied it in 1806. On 16 April 1859 the Rome and Civitavecchia Rail Road was opened for service.

The Papal troops opened the gates of the fortress to the Italian general Nino Bixio in 1870. This permanently removed the port from papal control.

Civitavecchia is today a major cruise and ferry port, the main starting point for sea connection from to Sardinia, Sicily, , and . Fishing has a secondary importance.

The city is also the seat of two thermal power stations. The conversion of one of them to coal has raised the population's protests, as it is feared it could create heavy pollution.

The Port of Civitavecchia

Forte Michelangelo, Civitavecchia As we approach our destination - late as usual - we pass Stazione Roma S. Pietro and there’s a good, but brief, view of the dome of St Peter’s in the Vatican. We then pass Trastevere and cross the Tiber to Ostiense, gradually circling inner Rome to Termini.

Frecciabianca train at Roma Termini

A lot of improvement work has been carried out at Roma Termini and on a mezzanine they have created there are now a number of excellent cafés for a quick snack or a celebratory drink for a safe arrival in the Eternal City. This area is served by escalators and lifts and provides a good view over the platforms. And we have just got time for a doppio espresso and a panino con prosciuto e formaggio. Buon appetito! Oh!, but watch out for the pickpockets and ‘rogue’ taxi drivers.