Parco Pertini (Pertini Park), Livorno

The Pertini Park is located along Viale Carducci in Livorno and has a rich history dating back to the early 19th century. Designed by the renowned architect Pasquale Poccianti between 1830 and 1854, it was one of the first public gardens in Europe. Initially conceived as a space representing "bourgeois decorum," the park was a symbol of refinement and public leisure in Livorno.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the park began to evolve into a zoo, despite lacking proper infrastructure. The earliest record of animals in the park comes from the mayor of Sassari, who donated two wild boars. By 1940, overcrowding in the animal enclosures became apparent, and the animals were eventually relocated to the Salsomaggiore Zoo. During World War II, the park was requisitioned by the Allied command but was returned to its original public park function in the 1950s.

In the 1990s, the park was expanded to include the area once occupied by the Pirelli factory. At its entrance stands a historical column, originally part of a fountain designed by Poccianti in 1838. Topped by a classical figure of the goddess Hygeia, this monument adds a touch of elegance, harking back to Livorno's architectural and cultural heritage.