Monte Rotondo, Hill in Livorno, Italy

Monte Rotondo is a hill in the Monti Livornesi, in the municipality of Livorno, reaching 149 metres above sea level. Its summit is round and is reached by a wide path that climbs in hairpin bends. At the foot of the hill flows the Botro del Molino, the largest tributary of the Rio Ardenza.

The hill's slopes were inhabited during the Paleolithic and Mesolithic, as finds at its base show; Neolithic evidence is scant. Between the Baroque and Enlightenment eras, wealthy bourgeois families built villas on the hill, including Villa Dupouy at the summit, now much deteriorated, with Villa Rodocanacchi and Villa Maurogordato nearby.

The hill's second name, Monterotondo, comes from Villa Dupouy, the Baroque-era villa built right on the summit by wealthy bourgeois families who holidayed in the countryside. Nearby stand the Rodocanacchi and Maurogordato villas, and the Livorno branch of the C.A.I. regularly leads excursions up the slopes.

The eastern trail offers the gentlest climb and works well for those wanting an easier walk, while other routes have steeper sections. Visiting on quiet weekend days gives you more space to enjoy the paths and views at a comfortable pace.

The hill's second name, Monterotondo, comes from Villa Dupouy, the Baroque-era villa built on the summit by wealthy bourgeois families; it is now much deteriorated and awaiting restoration. Nearby stand the Rodocanacchi and Maurogordato villas.