Livorno is a lively mediterranean port often overlooked by tourists, yet well worth a visit. It has Etruscan origins, and its name is supposedly derived from a type of Roman ship, the "Laburna", but it remained fairly small and unknown for centuries. Livorna is mentioned for the first time in 1017 as a small coastal village, the port and the remains of a Roman tower under the rule of Lucca.
Today Livorno is a lovely city to explore, with canals next to the old fortress, street markets and the sea front promenade.
