LEGHORN, or LivoRNo, anciently Liburni fiortua, and Liburnum, is a flourishing city and sea-port town of Italy, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. It is situated in the Me diterranean, in a marshy and unhealthy country, opposite to the small island of Malora. The town, which is well fortified, is of a square form, and is about 12,790 feet in cir cumference. Its streets are straight, regular, and wide, and many of the buildings are tolerably handsome. The fine street, called the Street of Ferdinand, traverses the town in a straight line from the gate of Pisa to the Colonel la gate. The Place of Arms is a noble square.
Leghorn contains fourteen churches, two Greek chapels, an Armenian chapel, and a magnificent synagogue. Its principal church is collegiate ; and the constant residence of the canons fixes several men of learning in the town. The free Turks and Turkish slaves have a mosque; but, with the exception of the English, who have a chaplain, the Protestants are not permitted the free exercise of their religion. One of the principal objects of interest at Leg horn is the marble statue, erected by Cosmo II. to his fa ther the Grand Duke Ferdinand I. which is the work of Giovanni del Opera. It stands in an open place before the harbour. The gigantic figures of the Turkish slaves, chained at the angles of the pedestal, are particularly ad mired. The Campo Santo, or the Cemetery of the Catho lics, is planted with cypress, and has some fine chapels. The cemetery of the English is still more magnificent, and contains some superb mausoleums. The harbour is divid ed into the outer and the inner. The inner harbour serves merely for four or five gallies, which are employed against the Corsairs. The outer harbour is formed by a mole, 600 common paces long. It is well paved, with a partition in the middle for sheltering the shipping from the wind on one side. From this mole, which is a favourite prome nade, are seen the fiunta Cavaleggieri, the lighthouse, which stands on a rock, and has 30 lamps in one lanthorn, the islands of Gorgona, Meloria, Capraia, and even Corsica.
Large ships lie beyond the mole, moored to pillars of large iron rings, as there is not a sufficiency of water in the har bour. There are at Leghorn three lazarettos and an arse nal ; and the vessels perform quarantine at Moleto. The Imhabitants of Leghorn carry on an extensive trade, which is greatly promoted by the freedom of the port, as every bale of goods, whatever be its size, pays only two piastres, or scudi. Coral is the principal object of manufacture at Leghorn. Alter it is obtained from the fisheries, it is ma nufactured for the Indies. It is first reduced into small grains (like those of beads) of different sizes, which is done by first cutting the coral into small cubical pieces, that perforating them, and afterwards grinding them on a re volving stone till they receive the desired shape. They are next arranged into sizes by passing them through sieves, and assorted according to similarity of colour. The most lively colours are the most prized in the Indies, and the palest are most esteemed in Germany. The largest are sold at 60 francs per ounce. At the orphan's hospital there is a manufacture of artificial flowers. The great part of the trade of Leghorn is carried on by the Jews, who live in a particular part of the city, and, though subject to heavy exactions, they are still in a prosperous state. Articles brought into Leghorn from the continent pay heavy duties to government, and from that cause, as well as from the monopolies of brandy, tobacco, and salt, the necessaries of life are very dear.
Leghorn is famous for its great magazines of oils, which were constructed by the Medici family. They are square vaults, from four to five feet high, built of brick, and cover ed inside with a sort of stucco, made of pounded bricks. These magazines are capable of holding no less than 24, 000 barrels. Every merchant has his own reservoir, and keeps the key of it.