Newcomers to Camp Darby can get to know the Livorno, Italy region, and all the incredible sites near the base. (ArTo - Adobe Stock)
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Camp Darby is in Livorno, Italy. Livorno made a name for itself as a cosmopolitan port town during the Renaissance under the guidance of the Medici family. In 1577, it was designed as an “ideal town” by architect Bernardo Buontalenti. He had previously built Livorno’s massive Fortezza Vecchia, or old fortress, which you can still see today standing guard on the waterfront.
Past the fortress, canals were created to allow for incoming trade ships. There are plenty of local boat owners who dock their vessels along the same canals in the Venezia Nuova District.
The port city came under the watchful eye of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, who was the Grand Duke of Tuscany. He gave Livorno special privileges as a “port franco,” or free port. This meant that international goods could be traded here without taxes. Soon the city developed an international and diverse population. The Medici family built an extensive new fort, the Fortezza Nuovo, along the canals on its own huge island. The fort has fallen into disrepair, but it is interesting and free to explore and contains one of Italy’s famous protected street cat enclaves.
The Via Grande is the city’s main shopping road that stretches from the port to the Piazza della Repubblica. Modern stores and restaurants line the road in shady covered arcades. While you are here, be sure to try some seafood. The Mare Matto stand near the waterfront has delicious budget options and a few chairs for an al fresco experience. Livorno’s iconic dish is a mixed seafood stew called cacciucco, and the best is found at Trattoria Da Galileo.
The Livorno waterfront is where the action has always been in this city, and the ever-expanding port continues this heritage. When you are ready to explore further afield, you can get in on the maritime action by taking a ferry from the Porto di Livorno to Corsica, Sardinia or Sicily. The massive ferries are operated by four different companies and offer overnight rooms, car decks and entertainment on longer sailings.
