Livorno

Livorno

Livorno (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Italian: [liˈvorno] ⓘ) is a port city on the Ligurian Sea[2] on the western coast of the Tuscany region, Italy.[3] It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronounced /lɛˈɡɔːrn/ leg-ORN,[4][5] /ˈlɛɡhɔːrn/ LEG-horn[6] or /ˈlɛɡərn/ LEG-ərn).[7][8][9] During the Renaissance, Livorno was designed as an "ideal town". Developing considerably from the second half of the 16th century by the will of the House of Medici, Livorno was an important free port. Its intense commercial activity was largely dominated by foreign traders. Also the seat of consulates and shipping companies, it became the main port-city of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.[10] The high status of a multiethnic and multicultural Livorno lasted until the second half of the nineteenth century, when it was surpassed by other cities. Evidence of that prosperous time can be seen in the many churches, villas, and palaces of the city.[11]