One of the most beautiful churches in Livorno is (or rather, was) the Chiesa degli Olandesi, or “Church of the Dutch.”
Chiesa degli Olandesi Livorno
Useful information
The church is located on the Scala degli Olandesi, between Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Cavour. It has been greatly neglected and therefore cannot be visited at the moment.
History and description
The church was built between 1862 and 1864 in neo-Gothic style. The architect was Dario Giacomelli and the official name is Tempio della Congregazione Olandese Alemanna (“Church of the Dutch-German Congregation”).
The original Congregation was Catholic and had an altar in the Chiesa della Madonna. When Calvinism took over, they had to find a new place.
After the congregation was dissolved, in 1960, the church fell into disrepair. An apartment building was erected behind the church and the spires were taken down for safety reasons.
In 1997, the congregation was re-established. Plans were made to reopen the church as a temple for cultural events. Thanks to its good acoustics, the church had also been used many times after the war for concerts (by Andres Segovia, among others).
Unfortunately, the project ultimately failed and after 2005 the condition of the church continued to deteriorate so badly that part of the roof even collapsed.