summertime goes south

22nd June: La Spezia to Livorno
Early departure for the 40 mile trip. Forecast was for winds building from lunchtime with gusts in excess of 20 knots and rough seas, therefore we planned to be well on the way before conditions deteriorated. Potential diversions were Viareggio or Pisa Marina if things got too rough. In the event conditions remained benign until mid-afternoon by which time we were approaching Livorno.
We have moored in the rather unattractive harbour, close to the ferry terminal which means we rock and roll with each ferry movement. Overall the town is not pretty, industrial and having the run-down air of a forgotten part of Italy. We may be here for a couple of days as the fridge has packed in and we are trying to find an engineer to fix it, otherwise we will have to rely on buying ice to keep things cool.
The port was heavily bombed in the war and very little of the old city remains, which is a great shame. Livorno was an important seaport linked by canal to the City of Pisa built during the Renaissance by the Medicis.
In its current form it is difficult to see why Shelley should make the journey here, let alone take the trouble to Anglicise its name to 'Leghorn'. Exploring beyond the immediate port area, it is possible to find here and there vestiges of it's heyday as an important free-port with a surprisingly extensive canal system, bordered by some fine former merchants' houses. St Catherine's Cathedral boasts an unfinished facade and a rather brutal looking octagonal lantern but inside it is more impressive boasting an altar piece by Varessi, the Renaissance master.