Montenero is a fraction of

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

, Tuscany, in Italy situated on the slopes of a

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as Mountain, mountains. Hills ...

and known for the Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie di Montenero.

History

The area was inhabited by humans since

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

, as proved by the many artefacts that have been found on the slopes of the hill, (for example those found in

1855 Events January–March * January 1 – Ottawa, Ontario, is incorporated as a city.' * January 5 – Ramón Castilla begins his third term as President of Peru. * January 23 ** The first bridge over the Mississippi River o ...

near "Buca delle Fate"). In antiquity the hill, the height of which is 313 m, was known as "Monte del Diavolo" (Mountain of the Devil), it later assumed the current denomination "Montenero" or "Monte Nero" (Black Mountain) due to the a thick forest which scared the travellers. Administered directly by the "Capitanato" of Livorno in the 17th century, it was a compulsory passage for people travelling from

to the south,

Grosseto Grosseto () is a city and a ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the province of Grosseto and the main city of the Maremma region. The city lies from the Tyrrhenian Sea, at the centre of an alluvial plain on the ...

and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, until the creation, in the end of the 19th century of the coastal road. The village saw a sensible enlargement since the 18th century, mostly due to the enlargement of the Sanctuary. In that time many villas were built in the area, also giving the setting for

Carlo Goldoni Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni (, also , ; 25 February 1707 – 6 February 1793) was an Italian playwright and librettist from the Republic of Venice. His works include some of Italy's most famous and best-loved plays. Audiences have admired the plays ...

's comedy Le avventure della villeggiatura. Among these residences there is Villa delle Rose, where the English poet George Gordon Byron stayed for some time; as well as Villa del Buffone and Villa Carboni. On 19th August 1908 was inaugurated a

funicular railway A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends ...

, linking the lower part (Montenero Basso) to the higher part (Montenero Alto), of the length of 656 m, which was renovated in

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

and carries approximately 250,000 passengers per year.

Geography

The fraction is located on the northern slopes of a hill, and is connected to the city of Livorno by Via di Montenero, which arrives in the piazza del Santuario (Square of the Sanctuary), in Montenero Alto, at a height of 190 m. The main square of Montenero Basso (70 m) is called Piazza delle Carrozze, and is the starting point of the funicular.

Places of interest

* Sanctuary of Montenero * Montenero Funicular * Fonte di San Fele

References

Tuscany Livorno

External links

{{Commons