Theme Day: Red

A red car parked in front of a “cartolibreria” (stationery and book shop), in “Borgo dei Cappuccini”.“Ir Barre” (The Bar, in Livornese dialect) in “Piazza Cavallotti”.Fire hydrant, “Edmondo De Amicis” elementary school.

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San Sebastiano

The central “Palazzo San Sebastiano” (Saint Sebastian Palace) was designed in 1926 and built in 1929, with two nearby buildings, for the “Istituto Nazionale Immobiliare”.On the side facing the Cathedral the building has a an interesting loggia, with a terrace above, and a high relief of Saint Sebastian on the corner with “Via San Francesco”.The poor Saint Sebastian is closely guarded by the traffic cameras of the “Zona a Traffico Limitato” (limited traffic zone).

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Around the School

This week my walk is more some quick trips around the “Edmondo De Amicis” school where I have to stay until Monday afternoon.
On the facade of the school, like on any other building owned by the municipality, there is this funny plaque, always slightly different, probably hand made.A weird mural nearby, to say “tanto” (much) love...I don't think this fence will last many more years.A nice pink “villetta” on the same street of the “De Amicis”.Another “madonnina”, opposite the main entrance of the school.I am not sure about this, it's a small new garden, just by my mom's house, called the “Labirinto delle erbe” (Labyrinth of the Herbs).

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Inside De Amicis

One of the first things you notice inside the “Edmondo De Amicis” elementary school is this garish in & out box.The long hallway of the first floor receives plenty of light from the windows on the backyard while, on the right, the classrooms face a small enclosed garden and the street.A sort of monument to the caretakers proudly stands on a shelf.The works of the kids are usually the most colorful thing you can see in an elementary school.A problem with a school built around one hundred years ago, is that the gym has two nice columns just in the middle, to support the floor above.

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De Amicis School

The “Edmondo De Amicis” is an elementary school built around the turn of the 19th Century in the new quarter developed around “Piazza Magenta” (now “Piazza della Vittoria”) and the church of “Santa Maria del Soccorso”.As a kid I attended this school with my little brother, and I keep coming back here every time there is an election.Now I have time to look at details I never saw then.
The old school is still in excellent conditions, completely renewed and perfectly kept by the staff.Maybe tomorrow I can show you something of the inside...

See also: Antonio Benci School

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Double Mirror

A reflected self portrait, inside the “Porto Mediceo”.

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A New Canal

The new canal where once was “Viale Caprera” is taking shape in the ordinate chaos of a construction site.Wider sidewalks and parapets are already in place: you can see them following the line of the street lights from the part of the canal dug few years ago.The canal will be where the backhoe is, amid the brick parapets.Soon everything in the area will be again like in this detailed 1824 map, courtesy of my friend Stefano.

See also: None the Wiser - Viale Caprera - Canale dei Navicelli
Micropoles

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La Verdad Conservadora

La primera acepción de verdad de acuerdo con la definición de la Real Academia Española es: “la conformidad de las cosas con el concepto que de ellas forma la mente.” Definición extremadamente subjetiva para mi gusto, aunque en su cuarta acepción de la palabra la RAE da una definición menos ambigua: “juicio o proposición que no puede negarse racionalmente.”

Podríamos argumentar que en nombre de la primera acepción se han cometido, y se cometen, abusos, atropellos y atrocidades de todo calibre; y que en nombre de la cuarta sólo la ciencia y, a veces, uno que otro ser humano, logran imponer la razón.

Pero no quiero filosofar sobre qué es la verdad, a lo que me quiero referir es a los que se creen dueños de ella y, por ende, no aceptan opiniones o posturas diferentes, ni siquiera términos medios. Esto conlleva a la intolerancia, lamentablemente una de las características más nocivas de esos supuestos dueños de la verdad.

Toda esta filosofía barata viene al caso por la actitud histérica del ala ultra conservadora del Partido Republicano -el neonato grupo Tea Party-, a raíz de la -casi- aprobación de la reforma del sistema de salud en Estados Unidos. Por cierto, único país desarrollado sin un sistema universal de salud; para vergüenza de pocos y para orgullo de muchos.

Estos conservadores, cuya verdad es que el aborto es un crimen, los homosexuales son unos enfermos mentales, los negros son inferiores y los inmigrantes son una lacra social de la que hay que deshacerse; se oponen a la reforma del sistema de salud porque su principal verdad es que el Estado no debe intervenir en la vida privada de las personas para garantizarles la salud a los pobres, porque ¿Quién coño los manda a ser pobres? Eso sí, según su verdad, ese mismo Estado debe intervenir en la vida privada de la gente para garantizar que todos tengan un arma -descargada- en su casa, que los homosexuales no se casen, que las mujeres no puedan decidir si tener o no un hijo y que haya democracia en todos los rincones de planeta Tierra donde los intereses del Tío Sam se vean afectados.

En nombre de esa verdad conservadora ya comenzó la Guerra Santa, contra el presidente Obama y contra todos los legisladores demócratas que votaron por la reforma, en forma de insultos, ataques e improperios –incluso llegaron a escupirle a un legislador demócrata negro-; porque la verdad hay que defenderla a cómo dé lugar. Así que lejos de cantar victoria, ahora es que le quedan batallas por librar a Obama para demostrarles a los conservadores, y a los gringos en general, que su proposición no puede negarse racionalmente.

Una reflexión -pangola- final ¿Será que Sean Penn pedirá la cárcel para todos los opositores del pana Barak?

Ciro

Of Cats and Gulls

Technically a poor photo, but I like this gull flying toward the sun.For a one-legged bird he seems quite at ease and even smug.One year later, the King of the Harbour is still on his rocky throne.

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Palazzo de Larderel

In 1827 François Jacques de Larderel, a Frenchman living in Livorno since 1799, pioneered a way of extracting boric acid from the volcanic mud, using only natural steam in the separating process. A decade later Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany and an enthusiastic supporter of Larderel's work, awarded him the title of Count of Montecerboli. The town, since 1846 renamed Larderello, became one of the first places in the world where geothermal energy was exploited to support industry.The “Palazzo de Larderel” is the most imposing and magnificent palace built in Livorno in the 19th Century.In 1832 the first “palazzina” was built in “Via dei Condotti Nuovi”, now “Via de Larderel”, by Riccardo Calocchieri. The wings were added later to the original building by Gaetano Gherardi and a new facade, unifying the various structures, was built around 1850 by Ferdinando Magagnini.The large triangular gable dominating the facade frames the coat of arms of the De Larderel family with allegories of mechanics, agriculture and commerce.Today the building is the seat of the local Civil Law Courts.

See also: “Steaming Forward”, Time, June 16, 2003

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Spring Walk

My first spring Sunday walk starts with my first tree blooms.A “Madonnina” on the corner of “Via San Carlo” and “Via Crimea”.“The Legend of the Bread” is an impressive name for a bakery. But I still wonder what they use the sword for...A rusty old lamp, or a fake rusty old lamp, I'm not sure.He was keeping watch from his window sill, behind the grate, but ready to jump...

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Four Noses

Few days ago a local paper revealed one of the best known secrets of Livorno: the exact and unique point from where you can see all the noses of the “Four Moors”.The noses in foreground are clearly visible, but it is better to add a closer view of the other two.The last nose is the hardest do catch, but here it is.

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Tito Neri

An animated view of the entrance of the “Porto Mediceo”, with the tug “Tito Neri” approaching and a service boat leaving.The “Tito Neri” is traveling backward, which is quite usual for tugs manouvering inside the harbor, because their type of propellers allow for a more precise and safe approach this way.Still going backward. The tug will travel normally only outside the port proper in case of rough sea or when actually pulling a ship.
Modern tugboats are propelled by azimuth thrusters which can be rotated in any horizontal direction, making a rudder unnecessary.

See what happened few years ago, more or less in the place of the first photo: explosion on board the “Cape Horn” (Livorno, 2003).

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Buoys

The “Pamiglione” is by far the oldest part of the “Porto Mediceo” (Medicean Harbour) and an endless source of inspiration for any kind of water reflection.

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