Cisternino di città, Neoclassical cistern in Piazza Guerrazzi, Livorno, Italy.
Cisternino di città is a neoclassical structure with a rectangular form located at Piazza Guerrazzi in central Livorno. It features a semicircular apse with an Ionic loggia on the side facing Via Grande, rising prominently above its base.
Construction took place between 1837 and 1848 under architect Pasquale Poccianti's direction. The building was designed to receive water from the Acquedotto di Colognole and serve as a storage facility within Livorno's water infrastructure system.
It now functions as Casa della Cultura, with a theater occupying the lower section where events and community gatherings take place. Visitors can experience how this former water storage facility has become a space for cultural activities and public engagement.
The structure sits at the intersection of Piazza Guerrazzi and Piazza della Repubblica, making it easy to find in the city center. Access is available through the main entrance at Largo del Cisternino, where visitors can enter and explore the cultural space inside.
Despite its elaborate engineering and refined design, this water storage facility never actually worked as a distribution system for the city. This paradox reveals how an ambitious technical project ultimately found new purpose as a cultural venue rather than fulfilling its original mission.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
