Information about Livorno Ferraris in the Province of Vercelli
Its place name, deriving from the Latin Le burnus or Levurnus, can be connect with the French libe (block of stone). As a matter of fact in the Roman era the settlement was already crossed by a road named Liburnasca, which was marked by militar stones.
It was inhabited by the Libici, a Ligurian tribe, since the II century b.c., as it is proved by the discovery of coins and funerari anphoras. The name Levurum was first mentioned in the certificate of Otto III in 999 and in the Vatican code. The village changed its name a first time into Livorno Piemonte in 1862; in 1924, in honour of the scientist Galileo Ferraris, the famous inventor of the rotatine magnetic field, it took its current name.
There are nineteen churches, some used and some unchurched, which form the incredibile artistic heritage of Livorno. Out of these, the solemn and majestic Parish of Saint Lawrence is noteworthy, situated in the centre of the village and rebuilt on a pre-existing smaller church, dating back to the X-XI century, of which only the lower part of a 55 meter bell tower is left, with its rich decorations and a XIII century single lacet window. In its interior, behind the main altar, there is a painting attributed to the painter Bernardino Galliari di Adorno, which represents the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence and, on the balcony over the vestry, a 1777 Serassi organ. Near the parish rises the church of the Holy Trinity, dating back to the sixteenth century, with a greek cross layout and vaults laying on four stone columns, a pretty central dome. At the moment it is being used by the town hall to hold concerts and other gatherings.
Coming down from the parish, towards the square Galileo Ferraris, there is the so called House of the Priest, dating back to 1666, and the old Town Hall Palace, restructured in 1925, which is now hosting the Memorial Museum “Ferraris” with the heirlooms of Galileo and of his brother Adamo, personal doctor of Garibaldi who fought at his side and thus died.
In the same square, in front of the monument in hounour of the great scientist made by the sculpturer Bastioni, rises the sixteenth century Church of Saint John Decollated, commonly known as church of the Brotherhood of Mercy. In its interior there are two paintings representing the Crucifix (1676) and the Decollation of Saint John the Baptist (1680) by the painter Bartolomeo Garavoglia.
Via Cavour, Via Martiri della Libertà and Galileo Ferraris, once known as “route of the procession” are rich in historic testimony. Along via Cavour there is the barroch church of saint Peter and Paul, which is part of the anciant brotherhood of the Apostles; along via Martiri della Libertà stands Palazzo Ciocca, situated on the ruins of a pre-existing castle, and at present headquaters of the local government offices and the church of Saint Francis which was rebuilt at the end of the 1300 and restructured at the end of the 1700. Here was kept the fourteenth century Virgin of the Strawberries, attributed to Aimo Volpi and now kept in Turin; on the external wall facing north there is an effigy of Saint Francis probably originally from the primitive church. In Via Alighieri rises the impressive Medieval Donjon. This is one of the ancient doors to the village of Livorno and dates back to the XVI century. It was called Parsu by the local inhabitants, and has a carriage entrance where it is still possible to see the housing of the punches of the two drawbridges and of the posterla, which for a long time was used as a prison.
At the beginning of the road towards Lamporo, in a southerly direction, in the cemetary, rises the austere church of saint Andrew. Dating back to the XII century, it is part of the abbey of Saint Genuario. Towards Saluggia, at the end of a long highway, there is the church of the Blessed Virgin of Loreto. It was errected in 1625. Today it is the centre of the house of Spirituality “Mother Natalina Bonari” of the congregation of the Nuns of Saint Maria of Loreto. The church of Saint Maria of Grazie, also known as church of Saint Agostino, was consacrated in 1611, and in its interior there is a precious painting of the crucifix dated 1490 and attributed to Aimo Volpi.
Along the road to Trino there is an extended property, the inside of which stands the church of Saint Maria d’isana, which is still dedicated to the Assunta, and has lovely mullioned windows and molding and the original arringbone structure. Right here, along the ancient Liburnasca road, in 1208 there was one the the oldest mansions of the Order of the Templars, with the annexed church, Sancta Maria de Ixane, which represented a safe shelter for all the pilgrims.
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