Piazza del Luogo Pio, the agora of the Venezia district

The result of an important urban redevelopment project, Piazza del Luogo Pio is now one of the most characteristic open spaces in Venezia Nuova. You will recognize it at first sight for the presence of a large and modern three-dimensional archway that serves as the ideal entrance to the City Museum. Bordering the Viale Caprera moat, it is indeed the agora of the neighborhood, where, in addition to the Museum and a series of restaurants, two beloved churches by the people of Livorno overlook it: the baroque one of San Ferdinando, a true place of worship for the “Venetian” residents, and the eighteenth-century chapel of the Luogo Pio.

The Church of Luogo Pio, a blend of Baroque and contemporary

Constructed between 1713 and 1715 according to the design of architect Giovanni del Fantasia, the Church of Luogo Pio was once the place of worship for a women’s orphanage of the same name that was destroyed after the war. With its gabled facade, adorned with a small bell tower now without bells, it characterizes the design of the square with a simplicity and formal purity that will surprise you. Now deconsecrated and an integral part of the City Museum, it now houses, among many others, a precious piece from its collection of contemporary art: Pino Pascali’s Great Reptile.

Aside from the value of the artwork, let yourself be captivated by the contrast between Pascali’s contemporary sculpture and the richness of the Baroque stuccoes; a truly interesting and evocative location that will amaze you.