LUCCA
toscana
Sites: Church of St. Michele, Basilica of St. Frediano, Roman Amphitheatre, Villa Grabau, Giacomo Puccini's Birth House, Via Francigena.
CHURCH OF ST. MICHELE
The church of St. Michele is mentioned for the first time in 795 with the title ad foro since it was built in the ancient Roman forum. The church of San Michele in Foro of Lucca is ideally as well as physically in the heart of the ancient Roman town. It is a basilica with three aisles, transept and semicircular apse; the nave is supported by arches resting upon monolithic pillars and the whole building is covered by barrel vaults with lunettes. The bell tower is above the southern transept. The outside of the church is distinguished by a high ribbed and richly sculpted façade; the walls are mainly of perfectly squared limestone blocks. The 11th century Church of San Michele facing the square is known for its eccentricity. Each of its columns is decorated differently and the interior contains paintings by Lippi and Della Rocca.
BASILICA OF ST. FREDIANO
The Basilica of San Frediano lies in the northern part of Lucca between Via Fillungo, the main road axis, and the walls; after the Duomo it is the largest Lucchese church complex. The interior is divided into three aisles with a roof supported by visible trusses; on the sides are a number of chapels belonging to the gentry. Along the north side of the church is a large building that was until 1780 the convent of the Canonici Lateranensi. The basilica has a wide façade in white limestone and a large mosaic at the top. In the apse end of the church is a massive bell tower crowned by dovetail merlons.
ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE
The amphitheatre, where gladiatorial shows and games were tradionally held, was built in Lucca in the second half of the 1st century A.D.. The discovery, during the demolition of some walls, of which we have news in the 19th century, of coins belonging to the reign of Emperor Claudius, suggests that work on the building was begun after the middle of the century. However, the it certainly wasn't finished before the late Flavian Age, when funds were granted by an important citizen, Quintus Vibius, whose rank was that of an "eques" or knight and who, according to an inscription in his honour, found inside the arena in 1810, donated 100.000 sestertii in ten years. Progressively, the original function of the building was lost; with its proportions and position outside the town walls it became a threat to the town itself, as it risked falling into the hands of eventual enemies. It is likely that, from the 6th century A.D., during the Gothic wars and the siege of Narsetes, the amphitheatre was fortified for military purposes and its outer arches closed. Successively, other buildings used as houses and, for a certain period, even as prisons, were added to the structures that had survived abandon and plunder. Between 1830 and 1839, following a project by the architect Lorenzo Nottolini, the buildings accupying the ancient arena were pulled down and the inner area, its profile slightly adjusted, became the present day piazza. The remains of the Roman Amphitheatre are preserved, incorporated in buildings bordering the present day "Piazza dell'Anfiteatro", in the northern part of the town. The elliptic shape of the piazza corresponding, to great extent, to the area of the ancient arena, is the result of a 19th century restoration that permits us to appreciate the volume and the general outline of the ancient monument. Besides, on the outer perimeter, along the present day "Via dell'Anfiteatro", we can see some of the original walls, in particular in front of the "Piazza Scalpellini" and to the north, between the eastern gate, the only ancient one that remains and "Via del Portico".
VILLA GRABAU
Despite 19th century interventions, the Villa Grabau, conserves harmony in its structure and a simplicity of form, which is very characteristic of renaissance architecture amongst the Lucchese Villas. There are three floors to this square plan, the third being the attics. The light colours of the plaster unobtrusively show up the greyness of the stones which frame the windows and arches of the porticos on the façade facing downhill (which was converted into a hall in the 19th century). The villa is built in the position that Sanminiati, the author of an essay on 16th century villas, and owner of a villa, described as ideal: being built on the confines between the plains and hills with the main façade facig dowhill. The layout of the garden facing uphill, an external architectural jewel, is realised by dividing the park's area with terracing. The walls of the terracing, decorated in black and white mosaics, contrasts with the curved shape of the hedges of the Italian style garden. In the italian garden there are 100 centenarian citrus trees in cotto vases with the coats of arms of the family. An effect of gradual fusion of the artificial work of man in nature and the Lucchese hills in the background is realised in the garden. This characteristic in the relationship with surrounding nature is also emblematic of the Lucchese architecture of the period, that keeps always in mind the insertion of the buildings in the distant panorama. The two bronze mascerons on the fountains fixed to the terracing wall are noteworthy as well as the grotesque fountain (at present moved to wood), attributed to the school of the mannerist sculptor Pietro Tasca (1577-1640) from Belli Barsali. The lemon house in the garden is one of the most noteworthy in the Lucchesia, with its 7 doors and oval windows framed by Matraia stone ashlars. In the big park of the villa, rich of rare essences, an interesting verdure theatre is also found.
GIACOMO PUCCINI'S BIRTH HOUSE
Puccini was born in this house in Corte San Lorenzo, where he spent his childhood until he moved to Milan at the age of 22. Like many members of his family before him, Puccini worked as an organist in the nearby church of San Paolino, in which his first orchestral composition, the "Messa per Quattro Voci" was performed on July 12th 1881. Today, the house is a museum managed by the Giacomo Puccini Foundation in Lucca, containing many personal items: furnitures, awards won by the maestro, the "Messa a Quattro Voci" (1880), "Il Capriccio Sinfonico" (1883), and a rich collection of letters written by and received from the composer, his wife Elvira, his son Antonio and his publisher Giulio Ricordi. His last great opera "Turandot" is evoked by the presence of the Steinway upon which he composed it in his house in Viareggio.
VIA FRANCIGENA
The Via Francigena is an ancient road to Rome for those coming from France. It was an important medieval road and pilgrimage route connecting North-Western Europe with Rome and the harbours to Jerusalem in Apulia (Bari, Brindisi, Otranto). It is not strictly correct to use the name "Via Francigena" for the whole route used by archibishop Sigeric in the year 990. This is because the name "Francigena" means "Generated in France" in Latin; therefore only the Italian part of the route can correctly be called "Francigena". A sign showing the way, located in Italy. The Via Francigena was the major pilgrimage route to Rome during Medieval times; even today pilgrims travel this route but in far fewer numbers than the "Way of St. James". The route was first documented in the 10th Century when the Archibishop of Canterbury, Sigeric the Serious, travelled to Rome to see the Pope in order to be consecrated. The Via Francigena is not a single "road" in the strict sense. It comprises a number of possible routes which changed over the centuries as trade and pilgrimage developed. Depending on the time of year, the political situation and the relative popularity of the shrines of saints along the route, travellers may have taken one of three or four crossings of the Alps and the Apennines. The Lombards paid for the maintenance and defence of the road as a trading route to the north from Rome. avoiding enemy held cities such as Florence. Itinerary: Canterbury, Calais, Bruay, Arras, Reims, Chalons sur Marne, Bar sur Aube, Besancon, Pontarlier, Losanna, Gran San Bernardo, Aosta, Ivrea, Santhia, Vercelli, Pavia, Piacenza, Fiorenzuola, Fidenza, Parma, Fornivo, Pontremoli, Aulla, Luni, Lucca, St. Genesio, St. Gimignano, Siena, St. Quirico, Bolsena, Viterbo, Sutri, Roma.
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