Old Fortress, Livorno

Old Fortress
Fortezza Vecchia
Part of the defences of Livorno
Livorno, Italy
Panorama of the Old Fortress from the port
Coordinates	43°33′07″N 10°18′08″E / 43.5519°N 10.3023°E / 43.5519; 10.3023
Site information
Owner	Italy
Site history
Built	Early 14th century

The Old Fortress of Livorno (Italian: Fortezza Vecchia di Livorno) is a castle in Livorno, Italy. The Old Fortress is a successor building to a medieval fort built by the city of Pisa in the location of an older keep built by Countess Matilda of Tuscany in the 11th century. The 11th century tower was incorporated inside the fort built by the Pisans. The castle has been described as a "symbol of Medicean Livorno". The fort is located at the Medicean Darsena, or old dock of the port of Livorno, built by the Medici family. The ceremony proclaiming Livorno a city took place inside the fortress on 19 March 1606.

The plans to build the castle started with Cosimo I de' Medici in 1519 and the completion of the structure happened under the rule of Alessandro de' Medici in 1534. According to one source, the castle was built between 1521 to 1534 by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder.Antonio da Sangallo the Younger is also reported by another source as the builder. The fortress contains the remains of the older fort built by Pisa and the 11th century tower constructed by Matilda. Matilda's tower, known in Italian as Mastio di Matilde, or Mastio della Contessa Matilde, has been restored.

The castle built by the Pisans in 1377 is called Quadratura dei Pisani and is believed to have been built by Puccio di Landuccio. The fortress church is dedicated to San Francesco. The old castle also contains the ruins of an ancient Roman castrum. The old fortress has three bastions and two main gates. The bastion closest to the land is called Ampolletta, the bastion nearest to the port is the Canaviglia and the third bastion, the Capitana, is at the northeastern side of the fort.