October 8
The morning began o
n the lovely veranda of 
my hotel for breakfast with beautiful views of Rome's roof tops and church domes as the backdrop.I took the train from Termini Statio
n to the Pisa Centrale station. There was so much beautity to see along the way in the form of spectacular mountains, gorgeous sea side
towns and adorable little villages. We passed a familiar town, Civitavecchia where we had taken the cruise from as well as other very memorable towns including Santa Marinella and Capalbio both on the water.I got to Lucca in the late afterno
on having changed trains in Pisa. When I got to the hotel the Lione de Santa Anna, Melody, a dear fri
end f
rom New York who had decided to meet up with me in Italy had already checked in. The hotel was in a former stately home now converted into a hotel. It is very nice and extremely
close to the Lucca walled city. The hotel is by no means luxurious and is rather simply deocrated almost like it were a cabin n the woods.We walked into to the beautiful walled city which is by no exaggeration completely contained within in an enormous and a
t least 3 story high brick wall. The city is remarkable for more than just being a walled city. The architecture ranges from Romanesque to Gothic with very little modern additions anywhere to be seen. I think that is what I like most about the city is it’s dedication to preserving the history and look of this very special place.It was getting late so we did a little shopping and then had dinner at Restaurante Giglio, a wonderful resteraunt serving great Northern Itali
an cuisine and it is directly across from the Lucca Opera House and as we sat outside to dine we had a lovely view of the Pizza and it’s impressive architecture.After dinne
r I actually had to do laundry. I know, how strange a thing to be doing in such a magical place as Lucca but it had to be done. There was a laundry directly across the street from our hotel and happily it was ecologicaly sound not only making me happy from a conciencious perspective it also meant that the soap and softner was integrated into the machine and all I had to do was put the clohtes in, put in a coin and shut the door. There was even a spining machine where you put the clothes when they are done so that all the excess water is removed and it takes considerably less time to dry them afterwards.Since there
was time between washing and drying Melody, who was kind enough to sit with me while I did my wash, walked with me to the yogurt shop down the street so we could get a little something sweet to snack on. We had what I would refer to has frozen yogurt petit fours. What fun and perfect to end the day on.October 9
We started the day off with breakfast at a local cafe. It was
a frittata sandwich for our morning meal and just the perfect thing to get us started for a long days touring. We stopped off at the Information Center and picked up the prer
ecorded walking tour that is like a large telephone where you press in a designated number at a specific sight of interest and you hear a British man tell you all about what you are looking at. This took a good three or four hours to complete. The city is not very large but it takes time to really see everything without having to run from site to site.
a frittata sandwich for our morning meal and just the perfect thing to get us started for a long days touring. We stopped off at the Information Center and picked up the prer
ecorded walking tour that is like a large telephone where you press in a designated number at a specific sight of interest and you hear a British man tell you all about what you are looking at. This took a good three or four hours to complete. The city is not very large but it takes time to really see everything without having to run from site to site.We started the tour on the top of the large wall. The wall is wide enough at the top to have a two lane street and in the 18th century or so an architect was called on to make the existing wall more palatable for locals and guest to enjoy. It is such an incredible experience to walk the exquisitely tree-lined entire perimeter of the city enjoying the view of all the great buildings, parks and winding streets.
We bought some marzipan and pistachio nut cookies at Caniparoli on Via S. Paolino
Which were so incredible we had to go back for more.
Which were so incredible we had to go back for more.
We passed several churches and I really loved Saint Martins which is the main cathedral of Lucca. In it is a larger-than-life crucifix that is 
said to have been completed by angels when it’s creator, Nicodemus, who, having just witnessed the crucifixion of Christ and was moved so deeply by what he saw, tried to com
plete this wooden carving of Jesus but to no avail as he feel asleep. The crucifix is so striking and is kept in a golden, ornately decorated cage like structure within the Cathedral and each year on September 13 the Luccans take the crucifix on a solemn and what I imagine to be a very moving candle lit procession through the streets of Lucca.
said to have been completed by angels when it’s creator, Nicodemus, who, having just witnessed the crucifixion of Christ and was moved so deeply by what he saw, tried to com
plete this wooden carving of Jesus but to no avail as he feel asleep. The crucifix is so striking and is kept in a golden, ornately decorated cage like structure within the Cathedral and each year on September 13 the Luccans take the crucifix on a solemn and what I imagine to be a very moving candle lit procession through the streets of Lucca.Next was the Saint Michael Cathedral which has a 
wonderful sculpture of Saint Michael at the very top of its façade with enormous metal wings so that they will move with the wind. I like this statue very much because he looks very humble and a little bit like a cartoon figure versus the more traditional life like ones.
wonderful sculpture of Saint Michael at the very top of its façade with enormous metal wings so that they will move with the wind. I like this statue very much because he looks very humble and a little bit like a cartoon figure versus the more traditional life like ones.We visited the church where Saint Zita’s body is placed. She w
as a young girl who many centuries ago when she worked for a local wealthy family would take the table scraps, hide them in her apron and bring them out to the poor town’s people. One night her master stopped her and questioned what was under her apron and she replayed flowers. When he opened the apron to look the food had been miraculously turned into flowers. Each year here in Lucca they have a huge celebration in her honor and they set up gardens outside the church.
as a young girl who many centuries ago when she worked for a local wealthy family would take the table scraps, hide them in her apron and bring them out to the poor town’s people. One night her master stopped her and questioned what was under her apron and she replayed flowers. When he opened the apron to look the food had been miraculously turned into flowers. Each year here in Lucca they have a huge celebration in her honor and they set up gardens outside the church.The people of Lucca clearly appreciate nature and take great pride in the many gardens and parks in and around town.
There was at one point in time an amphitheater that held about 10,000 Romans at any given time on the center of Lucca. It is long gone but in its place many years ago was erected the Piazza Dell’ Amfitatro which is a series of connected buildings of varying heights formed in a circle with the inside a completely open piazza where restaurants and shops have outdoor setups. All along the first floors both outside and inside of these buildings are great shops selling everything from food to leather goods. It is a really wonderful sight to behold and worth a visit to Lucca just to see it.We came across an art gallery which opened in the former Church of Saint Guilia and the featured artist was Sibilla Stefani whose work was captivating. The colors and combinations of materials and canvas types made the work diverse and I fell in love with the painting Notte (Night) which used circular colored dots with expressive brush strokes to create an evocative painting that draws you in.
In Lucca ma
ny years ago it was a sign of wealth and power if you had a tower attached to your home and its height determined exactly how much status you had in society. Bigger was absolutely better by their terms. There were at one time over 100 towers in the walled city but now there are only three. Of the three the most famous is the clock tower as it is the only one useful to the locals on a daily basis. Melody decided to bravely climb all the way to the top for the panoramic views. I however, decided to remain on the ground and walk around a bit.
ny years ago it was a sign of wealth and power if you had a tower attached to your home and its height determined exactly how much status you had in society. Bigger was absolutely better by their terms. There were at one time over 100 towers in the walled city but now there are only three. Of the three the most famous is the clock tower as it is the only one useful to the locals on a daily basis. Melody decided to bravely climb all the way to the top for the panoramic views. I however, decided to remain on the ground and walk around a bit.After our trip through town we took a long walk around the entire city per
imeter on the wall walkway known here as Le Mura. This is one of my favorite parts of the day. It was a walk on and around history and the trees, all of varying types, provided plenty of shade as well as boundless beauty. The wall and specifically Le Mura a vastly used part of everyday life in Lucca and the locals take full advantage of this walk way which also, at points throughout the walk, has also created parks for children and parks for adults to congregate and enjoy nature, fresh air and one another’s company. It has also become a great place for jogger’s and bike riders. Bike riders in fact are pretty much everywhere in this city and almost has hazardous to pedestrians as the Vespas are in Rome.
imeter on the wall walkway known here as Le Mura. This is one of my favorite parts of the day. It was a walk on and around history and the trees, all of varying types, provided plenty of shade as well as boundless beauty. The wall and specifically Le Mura a vastly used part of everyday life in Lucca and the locals take full advantage of this walk way which also, at points throughout the walk, has also created parks for children and parks for adults to congregate and enjoy nature, fresh air and one another’s company. It has also become a great place for jogger’s and bike riders. Bike riders in fact are pretty much everywhere in this city and almost has hazardous to pedestrians as the Vespas are in Rome.
Interestingly Giacomo Puccini was born and raised in Lucca and this year marks his 150th anniversary. Needless to say whien we saw in a brochure that there would be a concert of several of his more famous arias and duets in the Saint Giovanni church we just had to go. The tickets were incredibly only 16.50 Euros and the concert was so magnificent and the acoustics in that church could rival many of the world’s famous concert halls.Lucca is as charming and beautiful as any Tuscan city could be and with what I would imagine is no less than 1,000 shops in the walled city alone it is the prefect place to do some window shopping or maybe make a special purchase or two. Lucca has, for centuries, been known for their elaborate and exquisite silk fabrics so that is always a wise and wonderful purchase to make. I would absolutely say that this easily walk able city is for anyone who loves art, history, music, nature, good food and a general joy for life.
No comments:
Post a Comment