A day trip to Lucca
I've started taking a day off from work a week, so I've decided to leave Florence and explore what the local area has to offer!
I originally came to Florence for a 3 month "break" from London and the hospitality industry, but I'm hooked, found a job and still here 5 months later. I'm staying until September then either back to London or to another area of Italy (probably the later). So while I'm in Tuscany I should really make the most of this beautiful part of the world I live in.
So Lucca! For under €10 you can visit this beautiful town, just 1 hour 30 minutes from Santa Maria Novella train station - but why?
Firstly it's a great day trip for when you need a break from the crowds and experience real Italy!
Famed for it's Renaissance walls surrounded the town (perfect for a bike ride around), its cobbled streets, its local cuisine, the piazzas to enjoy a quiet relaxing Aperol Spritz (the Roman amphitheatre is perfect for this, although I did visit in January and opted for a hot chocolate), or to discover its quiet yet unchanged churches (there are over 100 in Lucca!).
Cathedral di San Martino
- The marble tomb of Clara del Carretto; Jacopo della Quercia. And the little dog by her feet.
- Reliefs on the left doorway; possibly by Nicola Pisano
- The wooden crucifix (Volto Santo); possibly by Nicodemus, who witnessed the crucifixion
- The Last Supper by Tintoretto (third altar of the south aisle)
- Madonna Enthroned with Saints; Domenico Ghirlandaio
Torre Guinigi
- Climb the steps for €4 up this 45 metre tower to see the view over Lucca. Most impressive are the 7 oak trees at the top of the town. It's said that upon the death of the Lucchese ruler Paolo Guinigi, all the leaves fell off the trees - great place for photos.
Chiesa di San Michele in Foro
- A place to marvel over this Romanesque architectural building where the original Roman forum was built. Go in to check out Filippino Lippi paintings!
Basilica of San Frediano
- Make sure you head up here just to marvel the beautiful mosaic on the facade - especially if it's just as beautiful day as the day I visited. Decorated in the 13th-14th centuries, it depicts The Ascension of Christ the Saviour. Inside (fee) you get the chance to see the corpse of Saint Zita (from the 13th century!) and a beautifully sculpted altarpiece by Jacopo della Quercia.
Torre Civica delle Ore
- Didn't make it up this tower (very narrow wooden staircases) but would reccomend if that doesn't bother you! It's a 13th century clock tower which was the highest the cities medieval towers. There's an interesting myth that the tower is inhabited by Lucida Mansi, a local women who sold her soul to the devel in exchange to remain young and beautiful. The devil came to collects his debts, Lucida tried to climb the tower to get away from the devil, who then caught up with her and took her soul.
Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi
- I had this place to myself, perhaps why they hadn't turned on the heating. The former Mansi family palace is now home to one of the 2 main art museums in Lucca, and displays a vast tapestry collection, and much post 19th century art collections. It gives a fascination living history insight to how this Baroque family home would have been decorated. From the highly decorated bedrooms, to works by Tintoretto, Ghirlandaio, Bronzinocon to name a few. If you get chance, the Museo Nazionale di Villa Guinigi comes highly recommended to me (perhaps on my next visit).
I didn't get chance eat in Lucca and decided to wait until an evening in Florence, but heres a few suggestions;
- Villa Bongi for Tuscan dishes
- Trattoria da Leo for regional food
- La Pecora Nera for cheap tasty local food
- Da Felice for pizza
- Ristorante Giglio for a special meal - local produce, top quality dishes, lots of extras. £££
- And of course try what Lucca is famed for; buccellato! Which is a semi sweet bread filled with raisins. Hard to miss as many of the bakeries have their windows full of them!
I originally came to Florence for a 3 month "break" from London and the hospitality industry, but I'm hooked, found a job and still here 5 months later. I'm staying until September then either back to London or to another area of Italy (probably the later). So while I'm in Tuscany I should really make the most of this beautiful part of the world I live in.
So Lucca! For under €10 you can visit this beautiful town, just 1 hour 30 minutes from Santa Maria Novella train station - but why?
Firstly it's a great day trip for when you need a break from the crowds and experience real Italy!
Famed for it's Renaissance walls surrounded the town (perfect for a bike ride around), its cobbled streets, its local cuisine, the piazzas to enjoy a quiet relaxing Aperol Spritz (the Roman amphitheatre is perfect for this, although I did visit in January and opted for a hot chocolate), or to discover its quiet yet unchanged churches (there are over 100 in Lucca!).
- The marble tomb of Clara del Carretto; Jacopo della Quercia. And the little dog by her feet.
- Reliefs on the left doorway; possibly by Nicola Pisano
- The wooden crucifix (Volto Santo); possibly by Nicodemus, who witnessed the crucifixion
- The Last Supper by Tintoretto (third altar of the south aisle)
- Madonna Enthroned with Saints; Domenico Ghirlandaio
- Climb the steps for €4 up this 45 metre tower to see the view over Lucca. Most impressive are the 7 oak trees at the top of the town. It's said that upon the death of the Lucchese ruler Paolo Guinigi, all the leaves fell off the trees - great place for photos.
- A place to marvel over this Romanesque architectural building where the original Roman forum was built. Go in to check out Filippino Lippi paintings!
Basilica of San Frediano
- Make sure you head up here just to marvel the beautiful mosaic on the facade - especially if it's just as beautiful day as the day I visited. Decorated in the 13th-14th centuries, it depicts The Ascension of Christ the Saviour. Inside (fee) you get the chance to see the corpse of Saint Zita (from the 13th century!) and a beautifully sculpted altarpiece by Jacopo della Quercia.
Torre Civica delle Ore
- Didn't make it up this tower (very narrow wooden staircases) but would reccomend if that doesn't bother you! It's a 13th century clock tower which was the highest the cities medieval towers. There's an interesting myth that the tower is inhabited by Lucida Mansi, a local women who sold her soul to the devel in exchange to remain young and beautiful. The devil came to collects his debts, Lucida tried to climb the tower to get away from the devil, who then caught up with her and took her soul.
Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi
- I had this place to myself, perhaps why they hadn't turned on the heating. The former Mansi family palace is now home to one of the 2 main art museums in Lucca, and displays a vast tapestry collection, and much post 19th century art collections. It gives a fascination living history insight to how this Baroque family home would have been decorated. From the highly decorated bedrooms, to works by Tintoretto, Ghirlandaio, Bronzinocon to name a few. If you get chance, the Museo Nazionale di Villa Guinigi comes highly recommended to me (perhaps on my next visit).
I didn't get chance eat in Lucca and decided to wait until an evening in Florence, but heres a few suggestions;
- Villa Bongi for Tuscan dishes
- Trattoria da Leo for regional food
- La Pecora Nera for cheap tasty local food
- Da Felice for pizza
- Ristorante Giglio for a special meal - local produce, top quality dishes, lots of extras. £££
- And of course try what Lucca is famed for; buccellato! Which is a semi sweet bread filled with raisins. Hard to miss as many of the bakeries have their windows full of them!
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