San Vincenzo LI Live Cam

The sea is the soul of the Coast of the Etruscans. It never leaves you during your journey. It has seen much history and lives through the landscape, it illuminates the sunset, it permeates the air, it is seen from the ancient villages on the hills.

Along the shore over 90 km of beaches and seabeds of fine white sand alternate with rocks carved by the wind. The Blue Flags awarded by the European Community indicate an unpolluted sea and services of a high standard in all the villages of this area. The sea is rich in rare fish species and particularly suitable for playing all kinds of sea sports.

There are lots of possibilities for sailing and boating thanks to the numerous well-equipped marinas spread all along the coast. Livorno is a "sea town". At the end of the 19th century it was the cradle of the first bathing establishments in Europe and home to the hundred-year-old Naval Academy, a highly-esteemed training school for officers of the Italian Navy.

The sanctuaries of Bolgheri, Orti Bottagone, La Magona; areas of outstanding natural beauty on the hills of Livorno and Val di Cornia; the botanical gardens; the fauna shelters rich in rare animal species, the thick dark pinewoods; the countryside rich in colours and scents all make up the natural heritage of the Coast of the Etruscans. Protected and preserved, it is not only a background but the very heart of this land. The scent of pinetrees, tamarisks and limes spreads all over and blends with the salty air. The Mediterranean Macchia vegetation and the characteristic necks stretch out to the beaches almost joining the crystal-clear sea.

Woods of olive-trees, holm-oaks, cork-trees and chestnut trees are crossed by a network of paths leading to ancient monuments and villages. In the fertile countryside which extends from the sea to the slanting hills, the sun-beams filter through the branches of the trees, making the vineyards shine and lighting up the Wine Road, an itinerary for the senses and the soul. The ancient springs of Venturina, dating back to the time of the Etruscans and the Romans, refresh visitors and give them new energy.

Once cross-roads for the world and home to many foreign communities from all over the world, Livorno reveals a cosmopolitan soul and links to the main European cultural schools of art.

Amedeo Modigliani, Giovanni Fattori, Pietro Mascagni, Giorgio Caproni, natives of Livorno and European citizens, reproduced the town's richness of character. Between the sea and the woods a path unwinds and leads to treasures of art, culture and architecture, carefully preserved in a land that the Etruscans loved so deeply. These people built the only necropolis ever to be situated by the sea in the gulf of Baratti and left numerous important traces of their life there.

On the hills the mediaeval villages witness an ancient history through their narrow stone-paved streets, quiet churches, small parishes, castles and towers, giving life to a long ancient past which seems here close at hand.

Bright lights and warm colours typical of Tuscany light up and slowly fade throughout long quiet days. The climate is mild all year round. The presence of the sea and sheltered hills make the coast of the Etruscans an ideal place to go on holiday in all seasons. Summer is long. Autumn and spring are mild. Winter is temperate with little rainfall.

The days are clear. The sunsets colour the sky red. In winter the climate, the infrastructures and facilities of the Coast of the Etruscans attract important football teams for training. Every season has a special glamour that captures tourists of all generations.