L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano I f y o u t h i n k o f t h e c i t i e s o f T u s c a n y , L i v o r n o m a y n o t immediately spring t o m i n d . W i t h "rivals" like Florence, Siena and Pisa, it couldn't be more difficult to stand out! Yet, the quaint port city t h a t t h e g r e a t A m e d e o M o d i g l i a n i o n c e c a l l e d home has a lot to say and to show to its visitors. Its histo- ry is tied with that of Tus- cany's most notable family, t h e M e d i c i s w h o , i n t h e 16th century, transformed a s m a l l f i s h e r m e n ' s v i l l a g e built around the Mastio di Matilde di Canossa, Matilde of Canossa's fortress, into one of the most important ports of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Here, in Livorno, cultures, r e l i g i o n s a n d e t h n i c i t i e s mingled, just like it would happen, later in history and s o m e m i l e s u p N o r t h , i n Hapsburgical Trieste. Livorno is a city of water: her elegant buildings find r e f l e c t i o n i n h e r m a n y c a n a l s , c r o s s e d h e r e a n d there by beautifully crafted bridges: Livornese people like to think of their home as a Venezia sul Mediterraneo, a l i t t l e V e n i c e b y t h e Mediterranean. Indeed, you can even take a tour of the c i t y b y b o a t , a n d t r a v e l through its many canals, just l i k e y o u w o u l d d o i n L a Serenissima. Everything in town has to do with the sea and how it fashioned local traditions - food included, of course - history, culture and art. And let's not forget that it was here that, in the 19th centu- ry, the first stabilimenti bal- neari, a true icon of Italy, were born. Livorno offers plenty of things to see, do and eat. You can enjoy the view of t h e s e a f r o m T e r r a z z a M a s c a g n i , w h i c h o f t e n appears, with its white and black checkered floors, in photos of the city. By the port, Livorno's quintessence, y o u c a n m a r v e l a t t h e Fortezza Vecchia, the old fortress, where the original Mastio di Matilde di Canos- sa still stands. There is also, a t t h e v e r y h e a r t o f t h e t o w n ' s h i s t o r i c c e n t e r , a Fortezza Nuova, joined to t h e p o r t t h r o u g h c a n a l s . Livorno's main place of cult i s i t s C a t h e d r a l , w h i c h i s dedicated to Saint Francis a n d t h a t w a s p a r t i a l l y destroyed by bombings dur- ing the Second World War and restored after the end of the conflict. All art lovers out there will certainly enjoy a visit to the Museo Civico G i o v a n n i F a t t o r i , w h i c h h o s t s w o r k s o f T u s c a n painters from the 19th and early 20th century. Livorno has some serious musical pedigree, too, as it is t h e b i r t h p l a c e o f P i e t r o Mascagni, honored, along with others, in the Museo Mascagnano at the Teatro Goldoni. And because of its m u l t i - c u l t u r a l h e r i t a g e , Livorno also offers interest- ing insights into other cul- t u r e s , w i t h t h e Y e s h i v a Marini Museum of Jewish culture, and the Museo di Santa Giulia, dedicated to Armenian culture. Architec- t u r e l o v e r s w i l l c e r t a i n l y enjoy a walk in the Arden- za borough of the city, just b e h i n d t h e p o r t , w i t h i t s m a n y l i b e r t y ( t h e I t a l i a n v e r s i o n o f A r t N o u v e a u ) homes. As you would expect in a city that grew around com- merce and cultural mixing, Livorno is also known for its historic market, the Mercato delle Vettovaglie, which is among the largest and oldest in Europe. The step from markets to food is very short… Livorno is home to some v e r y p o p u l a r d i s h e s a n d drinks. For instance, have you ever heard about cacci- ucco? And what about Gal- liano liqueur? Cacciucco is a fish stew with a history that probably started some 500 years ago when the fish- ermen of Livorno would use unsold fish to make them- selves a meal. If you want to make a real cacciucco, you must use five different types of fish in it, one for each "C" in its name; in it, you'll usu- ally find octopus, squid - or cuttlefish - mussels, prawns and monkfish, all flavored with extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, and white wine. For the best culinary experi- e n c e , y o u s h o u l d a l w a y s a c c o m p a n y i t w i t h s o m e slices of thick homemade bread. If you're after the perfect aperitivo Made in Livorno, look no further than Gal- liano. You may be familiar w i t h i t s e l e g a n t , c o n e - shaped bottle, filled with its yellow, aromatic liqueur. Galliano was created in 1986 by Arturo Vaccari, a Livorno brandy distiller, who gave a twist to popular anise-based t i p p l e s ( t h i n k o f P e r n o d , P a s t i s , o r S a m b u c a ) b y adding vanilla. Among the o t h e r i n g r e d i e n t s o f t h i s f a m o u s , a n d s o m e h o w trendy, drink we find Chi- n e s e a n d M e d i t e r r a n e a n anise, musk yarrow, juniper, cinnamon, lavender, ginger a n d p e p p e r m i n t . W h i l e many use it as a digestivo because of how aromatic it i s , i t c a n a l s o b e c o m e a n interesting ingredient for aperitivo cocktails, like the Harvey Wallbanger. Culinary blog FoodAtlas a l s o m e n t i o n e d a p o n c e livornese, a type of punch invented in the city some- t i m e i n t h e 1 7 t h c e n t u r y , made with a hot concoction o f r u m , s u g a r a n d l e m o n zest, to which coffee is then added. Legends say that it was an Italian take on the "punch" British sailors made popular in town back in the 1600s, but the coffee gave it a truly Italian allure. I n t e r e s t i n g l y , t h e f i r s t recipes for ponce livornese underlined the importance o f n o t u s i n g h i g h - q u a l i t y rum, because it could be too strong; rather, low quality rumme, a mix of alcohol, d a r k c a r a m e l a n d s u g a r , should have been preferred. Livorno: a lesser-known Tuscan beauty FRANCESCA BEZZONE Boccale Castle, near Livorno (Photo: Digitalsignal/Dreamstime) Livorno old port (Photo: Vinciber/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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