Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata (Church of the Santissima Annunziata), Livorno

The Church of the Santissima Annunziata, also known as the Church of the United Greeks, is a Catholic place of worship in Livorno. Originally built for the Greek-Catholic community following the Byzantine rite, the church is situated on Via della Madonna, near the temples of San Gregorio and the Madonna. Over the centuries, it has undergone several changes, reflecting both the community it served and the historical events that shaped Livorno.

Constructed in the early 17th century, the church was designed by Alessandro Pieroni and completed in 1606. Its elegant Baroque façade was adorned with sculptures by Andrea Vaccà. A small bell tower was also added during this period. The church’s interior ceiling, enhanced with coffered decoration and a central painting of the Annunciation by Giovanni Domenico Ferretti, replaced the original beams and trusses.

The church holds historical significance for its association with Demetrio Camarda, a 19th-century Albanian linguist and Byzantine priest who maintained the Eastern Christian traditions in Livorno. However, during World War II, bombings destroyed much of the church, leaving only the façade and a section of the nave intact. Post-war restorations rebuilt the church in a simpler style, and in 1951 it was handed over to the Archconfraternity of Purification.

A key feature of the church is its iconostasis, dating back to 1610, created by Greek master Anthimos Kolas and enriched with icons representing significant liturgical events. This piece was significantly damaged during the war but was restored in 1985. The church’s façade, notable for its Tuscan columns and triangular pediment, once featured statues of Innocence and Meekness, which were lost during the war but later replaced with fiberglass copies in 2012. Inside the vestibule, the original sculptures were placed in 2014.

Since 2015, the Church of the Santissima Annunziata has been in use by the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, continuing its legacy as a place of worship for Eastern Christian communities.