Livorno is a fascinating port city, with a population of just short of 160,000. It can be a useful base to plunder the Tuscan tourist cities of Firenze (1 hr 20 minutes by train) or Pisa (20 minutes) for the sights or calcio at a much more reasonable price for a bed! From here you can easily see games across the state line in Liguria at La Spezia or Genoa (as long as not a night game!), Carrarese, Massese, Lucchese, Pontedera, Empoli, Fiorentina and Pisa could all be watched, but if you are headed to support Pisa, don’t wear your blue and black kit on the streets of Livorno, this is a serious rivalry! The only down side of Livorno is the railway station is 1.5 kilometres from anywhere you’d find to stay. That said, despite the fact the stadium is 5 kilometres from the station, the Livorno buses are jolly easy to understand. Right outside the station, having bought your ticket at the Tabacchi, Linea Blu bus will whisk you down to the sea front and take you to within five hundred metres of the stadium, making it a distinct possibility to pincer in and out on the day if time was short!
In English Livorno is known as Leghorn, but rarely is that used these days. It was a city many years ago where infamously a Scottish nanny was tried for witchcraft!! It is proper working city, yes it has a smattering of tourism, but the more adventurous kind, and not the big ticket “leaning tower” only crowd.
The Medici, those Machivellian rulers of Florence got involved in the city, putting up the imposing waterfront Fortezza Vecchia by 1534, with the population then resettled in what was thought to be the “ideal town” in the Renaissance period, essentially a pentagonal design, with towers and fortresses defending the city from the sea. When the Grand Duke of Tuscany declared Livorno a Free Port in 1580 it really took off as a busy sea port. By the 17th century a system of navigable canals through neighbourhoods was added to the design, which coupled with Pisa’s port “silting” up, increased the trade as Livorno became the main port of Tuscany, a title it can still hold with pride today. While the football rivalry with Pisa was still a long way off in the 17th century, getting one over its neighbours in terms of commerce was a major bonus, if only someone in Livorno had thought to put crap foundations under a lavish tower, they’d have it all!!
In 1861 Italy succeeded in its war of unification, and Livorno, like the rest of Tuscany became part of Italy. At this juncture it lost its Free Port status and the city fell into decline. It was where the Italian Communist Party was started in 1921, and it is still to this day perceived as a Left Wing city. In the Second World War II it suffered terrible bombing by the allies ahead of invasion as it housed, and still does harbour, significant elements of the Italian navy.
Modern day Livorno is a very pleasant, and slightly unusual Italian city, with it’s deep canals running through the central area, and home to an inordinate number of small boats. The port is vast, with a fishing fleet, a shipyard, a container depot, and perhaps a cruise ship re-fitting yard as I counted seven cruise ships docked! A little walk beyond the port brings you to the cities esplanade area, and it is here that money seems to be getting spent giving the old frontage a face lift. Across from the lavish looking Grand Hotel, an area is fenced off as one of these beach front areas where nothing is free, with beach loungers, parasols, beach huts and swimming pool, as well as access to the sea, all controlled. Livorno has real character, a proper Italian city with sufficient hotels, bars and restaurants to suit any purse. As you’d expect, the seafood is exquisite.
Getting there
The nearest airport is at Pisa, with regular flights to an array of UK cities. I have to say Pisa airport was a lovely compact little airport, with places to eat and drink outside the terminal as well as inside! It has to be the nearest airport to a city anywhere! It would easily be possible to walk from here to Pisa Centrale station as it is no more than 2 kilometres, but the amusingly named tram Pismover will take you there too for 2.7 Euro. From the railway station it’s a twenty minute trip out to the coast at Livorno, on the very regular Firenze to Livorno Centrale service.
Accommodation in Livorno may have less choice, but it is around 70% of the price in Pisa and 50% of the Florence prices generally. The aforementioned lavish end at the Grand Hotel would set you back 200+ Euro a night, but you will find many a fine hotel at around 60 Euro.
Getting to the stadium/Ticket prices
As mentioned previously Linea Blu from the Railway station at 1.5 Euro will take you to near the stadium in around 20/25 minutes, stopping at a variety of places throughout the city centre before running along the considerably lengthy seafront.
If you are staying in the city and have loads of time, it is a lovely walk along the coast largely, about 4 kilometres. Don’t forget catering in the vicinity of the stadium is poor. Yes the odd catering van might be street selling near the ground, but a bar or a proper restaurant are nowhere to be seen!
Tickets can be bought ahead of match day in a variety of bars in the city, or on match days at a cabin near the main entrance until about an hour before kick off when that transfers to another cabin on the opposite side of the stadium. Always remember to take your passport as you will need it to both acquire a ticket and get into the stadium. Online purchasing is available too.
Curva (behind the goal) prices come in at 14 Euro, with seating opposite the main stand (Gradinata) 22, and the main covered stand itself (Tribuna laterale e Centrale), 30 to 55, depending on how central you want!
Football Adventures with James Rendall 