Livorno was founded in the second half of the sixteenth century by the Medici when, for military and commercial reasons,
the fishing village which had grown up round Matilde di Canossa’s keep (Mastio di Matilde di Canossa) rapidly became
one of the Mediterranean’s main ports.
Reminders of the “Nations”, which contributed to the birth and growth of an important port known throughout the
Mediterranean, are to be found in churches, historic cemeteries, archives and food.
Guarding the Port is the Fortezza Vecchia (Old Fortress) with its imposing Matilde’s Keep (Mastio di Matilde),
connected by internal waterways to the Fortezza Nuova (New Fortress) in the heart of the city.
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