(Italian Livorno), a free seaport-town on the W. coast of Italy, grand duchy of Tuscany, is situate at the extremity of a low and partly marshy plain, in N. Lat. 43.32. 40., and E. Long. 10. 20.; 12 miles S.S.W. of Pisa, 54 miles W. of Florence by railway, and 85 miles S.E. of Genoa by sea. It is built nearly in the form of a square, surrounded by walls, with five gates, and intersected by regular, wide, and well-built streets. The old town of Leghorn, fronting the harbour, was long separated from the newer portions by a wall, and hence the streets here are narrower, and the buildings more crowded than in other parts of the town. It is traversed, however, by the noblest avenue in the city, the Via Grande, a wide street stretching from the Arsenal to the Pisa Gate, and having a large square in its centre, where many of the public offices are situate. To the N. and N.W. of the old town is what was formerly a suburb, called New Venice, but now incorporated with the rest of the city. It is intersected with canals, by means of which the various merchants' warehouses are supplied with their goods direct from the harbour. On the other side of the old town, to the S. and S.E. of it, a new part, now also included in the city, contains many elegant streets and mansions, the residences of the more opulent merchants. Leghorn cannot boast of Leghorn, many fine edifices. Those most worthy of notice are as follow:—The Duomo, or cathedral, the oldest church of the town, standing in the Piazza Grande. There is nothing remarkable in its architecture, while its accommodation is so limited that a new and larger cathedral has been commenced, to supply the want. The Tower of Marzocco, or painted lion; the palace of Count Lardarel, containing a valuable collection of paintings; and the statue of Ferdinand I. de Medici, which stands close to the quay. Besides these, there are several parish churches, two Greek churches, a rich Jewish synagogue, and an English Protestant place of worship. Of the convents, the most famous is that situate on Monte Nero, which has in its possession a portrait of the Virgin, said to have floated from the island of Negropont to the Italian shore, unscathed by the violence of the sea. Water is brought into the town by a great aqueduct from Colognole, 12 miles distant. The accommodation of the harbour, however, is not in keeping with the size and importance of the town. Although possessed of two quays, neither of them have sufficient depth of water for large vessels, nor room for all those which are able to enter. This has been caused partly by the great quantities of sand washed in by the Mediterranean, and partly from want of due care on the part of the authorities. The port possesses two harbours. The outer and larger one is protected by a stone pier about 3000 feet long, and can be entered by ships of about 100 tons; while the inner harbour, which stretches into the town, has been so filled up that it is used only by small craft, and as building and repairing docks. A new harbour is, however, in course of construction south of the present one, and, when completed, will have sufficient depth of water for the largest vessels. At present large ships have to discharge their cargoes in the roadstead, which lies between the shore and a sandbank W.N.W. of the harbour, 4 miles in length by 2 in breadth, and having from 3 to 18 feet of water over it. The hold is good, and every facility is afforded for landing goods and passengers by means of lighters. A lighthouse, standing on a rock close to the mole, is seen many miles at sea. The lazaretto accommodation here is unequalled in Europe. There are three houses, for vessels with clean, foul, or compromised bills of health respectively.

The trade of Leghorn has been for many years in a flourishing condition, greatly owing to the privileges extended to the port by the Tuscan authorities; for, with the exception of the few government monopolies, goods can enter here more cheaply than perhaps at any town on the continent. Indeed, in some cases, articles of British manufacture are to be had in Leghorn at a lower rate than in England itself. But, besides the port privileges, the municipal laws are so framed that persons of all creeds and religions can live here in the enjoyment of their respective religious services. The English cemetery of Leghorn—the resting-place of Smollett and others known to fame—was long the only Protestant burying-ground in Italy. The effect of these wise measures is manifest in the number and variety of the shipping which resort to this port. There are annually about 4000 vessels, with about 400,000 aggregate tonnage, entering its harbour, while the clearances are nearly the same. Of these, the largest number are Italian coasters. The others, in the order of the importance of their trade, are British, French, Greek, American, Austrian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, and Ottoman ships. The articles of trade are numerous, Livorno being the great emporium of Tuscany and the adjacent states. Its articles of export and import comprise all the Italian products and manufactures, such as argol, borax, grain, fish, straw hats, hemp, olive oil, rags, seeds, silk, skins, marble, tallow, timber, wool, vermicelli, and maccaroni. Besides these, the articles peculiar to the Levant and N. coast of Africa for many years found their way to Western Europe, in great part, by way of Leghorn; but, as of late the British and American traders have gone direct to these parts, this traffic has fallen off, and that of the Peninsula become the staple trade. The following table of the chief imports into Leghorn, during the three years 1850, 1851, 1852, is taken from Macculloch's Commercial Dictionary:

| Chief Imports | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | |--------------|------|------|------| | Coffee | 3,023,000 | 4,439,000 | 3,610,000 | | Cotton | 211,500 | 650,700 | 138,900 | | Indigo | 275 | 259 | 384 | | Pepper | 298,500 | 635,000 | 435,000 | | Sugar, Brazil | 602,000 | 135,000 | 80,000 | | ... Creeds... | 13,274,000 | 7,520,000 | 15,132,000 | | ... East India and Santos... | 1,512,800 | 129,000 | 925,000 | | ... Havana... | 3,400,000 | 1,149,000 | 2,510,000 | | ... Leaf... | 18,500 | 6,000 | 37,000 |

The next table shows the quantity and value of the principal articles exported from Tuscany to Great Britain in the years 1853 and 1854, from the Government Report of Trade and Navigation:

| Principal Exports to Britain | Quantity | Computed Value | |-----------------------------|----------|---------------| | Anchovies | lb. | | | Boracic Acid | cwt. | | | Corn, all kinds | qr. | | | Marble, manufactured | cwt. | | | Olive Oil | tons | | | Rags for Paper | tons | | | Seeds, Flax and Linseed | qr. | | | Skins, Lamb and Kid | No. | | | Straw, articles of | lb. | | | Vernicelli and Macaroni | cwt. | | | Wheatmeal and Flour | cwt. | |

The total value of the imports into Leghorn, during the years 1852-3, and 1854-5, commencing October 1, was, in the former year, L4,508,000, and in the latter, L5,690,000; while the total value of exports for these years was L2,848,800 and L3,120,000 respectively. In 1856 there were 112 vessels, with an aggregate burden of 27,059 tons, and 414 small craft, with an aggregate of 7879 tons, belonging to the port.

The early history of this city is, to a great extent, enveloped in obscurity. The first mention we have of it is by Cicero, who calls it Labro. It was, however, in his time, and for many centuries after, but an insignificant fishing station, situate about 4 miles to the S. of Portus Pisanus, which then occupied the commercial position now held by the modern Livorno. In the fifteenth century it acquired its first importance as an Italian seaport, after having passed from the hands of the French to the Genoese, and from them to the Florentine Confederation. A harbour was constructed by the latter immediately after their acquisition, and town walls built. Stronger and more extensive walls were commenced in the year 1577 by Francesco I., and public buildings were afterwards erected by his successor, Ferdinand I. This wise ruler was, in reality, the great founder of the Livorno trade. He was the first to pay no respect to creeds or religions; but, on the contrary, invited all those who were anxious to prosecute commerce honourably and with perseverance, whether they happened to be Roman Catholic, Protestant, Greek, Jew, or Mohammedan. Under his liberal government the port of Leghorn became the only town where freedom of opinion was recognised, and formed a leading principle at that time. From the end of the sixteenth century until the year 1796, when the town was taken by the French, its trade and commercial relations increased and extended; but with the French occupation commerce and freedom were virtually at an end. After the conclusion of peace, however, in 1814, the port recovered its traffic, and has now gained the highest position as a seaport in the Peninsula. Its progress was slightly checked during the revolution of 1848 and 1849, when the Austrians seized it, and occupied it for some time, a proceeding which, fortunately, had a less prejudicial effect on the trade than might have been expected. The custom-house officers were more strict in searching vessels for arms, but otherwise traffic was not impeded.

The manufactures of Leghorn are unimportant. Those most worthy of mention are ropes, woollen caps, alabaster and coral ornaments. Many boats belonging to the port are sent annually to the coral fisheries off the coasts of Sardinia and Barbana. There are several mineral springs in the neighbourhood of the town. Pop. (1855) 79,962, many of whom are Jews. The government, or province of Leghorn, including the island of Gorgona, has an area of 24,320 acres, with a population of 92,200 persons.