Chiesa di San Giuseppe (Church of San Giuseppe), Livorno

The Church of San Giuseppe, located in Piazza II Giugno in Livorno, marks a significant part of the city’s expansion during the early 19th century. Designed by Florentine architect Giuseppe Puini, the church was commissioned by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany, reflecting Livorno's growing need for new public spaces and places of worship as the city developed outside the Fosso Reale. Construction began in 1839, and the church was consecrated in 1842.

Throughout its history, the Church of San Giuseppe faced multiple challenges. It was damaged during the Austrian invasion of 1849 and later converted into a hospital during the cholera epidemic of 1852. By the early 20th century, the parish housed 9,000 people, making it the largest in Livorno. However, it was repurposed as a grain warehouse during World War I and sustained serious damage in World War II.

The church’s neoclassical façade, reminiscent of the nearby Cisternone, features a portal crowned by a decorative niche and a small central clock above the pediment. Inside, the building follows a Latin cross plan, with a dome at the intersection of the nave and transept. Although much of the artwork was lost during World War II, two notable pieces remain a marble altar in the left arm and Giuseppe Baldini’s 1843 painting The Martyrdom of Saints Crispin and Crispinianus in the right arm.

The bell tower, damaged by Austrian artillery in 1849, stands behind the apse and houses four bells cast by Carlo Moreni in 1842. Adjacent to the church is a large room, once used as a mortuary and anatomical space, now serving as the "Don Ernesto Vignali" Pastoral Center.