In 1548 the first Tuscan Grand Duke, Cosimo I, promulgated a law that granted to anybody who decided to settle in Leghorn the cancellation of any previously-contracted debts. Thanks to this law, already in the middle of the sixteenth century Leghorn was acquainted with the phenomenon of immigration, tha became more and more important with the following laws of 1593.

Moreover, Cosimo I gave a commission to Giorgio Vasari to design the construction of a new dock, and in the meantime he increase the fortification of the town that continued to become more and more important. After the death of Cosimo I, his son Francesco carried on the work. asking the architect Bernardo Buontalenti for the plan of a new Leghorn, a sort of fortified townwith the Cathedral in the middle. On 28th March 1577, Francesco I himself, during a solemn ceremony, set the First brick of the new city-wall. Howevwe, the Medici Grand Duke who had the most importance for the future of this town was Ferdinando I, the brother of FrancescoI, who ascended to the throne in 1587. In fact, it was Ferdinando who executed Buontalenti's design.

Leghorn thus became a town Surrounded by strong walls and by a navigable canal, a town withseveral palaces, shops, barracks and customs service. But what contributed more than anything else to the rapid development of the port town was the promulgation of the well-known "Leghorn Laws" . These laws, published on 10th June 1593, were in favour of the merchants of every place and every religion. It was in practice, a real pardon with which the populating of the town was facilitaded by giving right of asylum to all those who wished to settle in Leghorn and to work there.

The law supported in particular the Jews who landed at the Tuscan port from almost all the European countries. In 1606, three years before his death, Ferdinando I wanted to crown his work by raising Leghorn to the rank of city. The son of Ferdinando, who ascended to the throne with the name of Cosimo II, found himself administering a flourishing town, abounding in artisansand merchants; a town where several races and many different cultures all met together. Leghorn in the 18th century thus represented a rare example of the living togeter of many races, and at the end of the 18th century it had already become the second town of Tuscany, with 80, 000 inhabitants. Under Cosimo II, the Medici port was built and the town was declared a free port.

With Cosimo II the period of maximum developmentof Leghorn closed, even if trade in the town continued to flourish. In fact, none of the following Grand Dukes of the town removed the customs facilities that allowed it a very rapid evolution.

With the annexation of the Grand Duke of Tuscany to the Kingdom of Italy, Leghorn knew another evolution. Thi time it was not only due to commercial trade, but also to industrial activities. In addition to the shipyards, other industrial productions slowly begun;those industrial activities that Nowadays make Leghorn a modern and very active centre. Even the tourist activity was born at the end of the nineteenth century, and it transformed Leghorn by the beginning of our century into a very famous seaside resort.

The town also knew a very important cultural season, animated by writers such as Marradi, painters such as Fattori and Modigliani and musicians such as Pietro Mascagni, all of whom were born in Leghorn.

The second World War caused much damage to Leghorn, wich however was able to recover very Rapidly Nowadays, the town has more than 170. 000 inhabitans and its province, includes 20 towns. Among the seven islands that form the Tuscan archipelago, five are under the administration of Leghorn: Gorgona, Capraia, Elba, Pianosa and Montecristo.

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