Lee's Tuscan Odyssey: Lucca

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

"Tuscany is a state of grace. The countryside is so lovingly designed that the eye sweeps the mountains and valleys without stumbling over a single stone. The lilt of the rolling green hills, the upsurging cypresses, the terraces sculptured by generations that have handled the rocks with skillful tenderness, the fields geometrically juxtaposed as though drawn by a draughtsman for beauty as well as productivity; the battlements of castles on the hills, their tall towers standing grey-blue and golden tan among the forest of trees, the air of such clarity that every sod of earth stands out in such dazzling detail. The fields ripening with barley and oats, beans and beets. The grape-heavy vines espaliered between the horizontal branches of silver-green olive trees, composing orchards of webbed design, rich in intimation of wine, olive oil and lacy-leaf poetry. Tuscany untied the knots in a man's intestines, wiped out the ills of the world. Italy is the garden of Europe, Tuscany is the garden of Italy, Florence is the flower of Tuscany." Irving Stone from my favourite book " The Agony and the Ecstacy" A fictional biography of Michelangelo

Showing posts with label Lucca. Show all posts

149. Alicia Keys at the Lucca Summer Festival

Last year we came here for two concerts and saw Alanis Morrisette and Craig David. This year we choose just one, American queen of R&B, Alicia Keys. There is only so much time...

We drive up in the early evening in time for our customary pizza stop, the town is buzzing and it's a balmy evening. Ms Keys is looking stunning behind her grand piano and treats us to a very steamy evening of her many hits, at one point even playing the piano while laying on it!

We cool down with some ice creams and disappear into the still warm Tuscan evening...

106. Lost in Lucca

November has gone and we break up from school on the 17th of December for 19 days of holiday… whoopee!

It’s the final countdown, with end of term celebrations, governors party, drinks at Beccofino and the staff dinner, pizza at Dantesca in Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Cheese and wine too at the last Orson Welles film night at the library.

There is an international craft fair at the Fortezza del basso, where we pick up the first of our Christmas presents.

Today we are paying our 5th visit to the lovely Lucca with friends Francesco and Ilaria. The temperature is only just above freezing, but who cares! First stop is Piazza Anfiteatro, which like many squares at this time of year has a Christmas market. We stop for lunch at a jazzy place and then get lost in Lucca... We see the tower with the trees and after some time find the church with the famous Dell Quercia sculpture ‘Ilaria sul caretto’ which our Ilaria wanted to see. The streets are jam-packed with shoppers and we enjoy a wicked hot chocolate back in Piazza Anfiteatro and a quick stroll along the walls (too cold for bicycles!) before heading home.

(Original journal entry 14/12/03)

23. Rory and Friends - Poggio a Caiano and Lucca

It’s Grand Prix weekend at San Marino and big nephew Rory and three of our friends from England have come to squeeze into our tiny flat for the week. The weather is typically ‘April like,’ however one of the guys has bought me a ticket for the Grand Prix and I get to have my first taste of the local speciality, ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ a 22llb T-bone steak!

Apart from the weekend, we are mostly working, but they have hired a car and get to visit some cool places: Rome, Bologna, Siena, San Gimignano and the Ferrari factory at Maranello.

Poggio a Caiano

I’m reading a book at the moment about the Medici. The Medici were Florence’s most famous family dynasty who ruled over Tuscany between the 14th and 18th century. At one time they were probably the wealthiest family in Europe, their wealth coming from textiles and banking. Fortunately for us, they provided generous patronage to the arts and were a key to funding the Renaissance art movement. During this time, in addition to commissioning countless works of art which today have become famous masterpieces, they also had many country villas built around Tuscany.

Today we have decided to visit one of those villas, probably the most famous, the villa at Poggio a Caiano, which is a small town to the west of Florence. The villa is spectacular. Built for Lorenzo, called ‘the Magnificent,’ Medici, by the architect Giuliano da Sangallo, although the staircase was added later. We go inside too, where there are some wonderful Greek themed frescoes by Pontormo, Del Sarto and Fra Bartolomeo. The rooms are lavishly furnished, as this was also a county residence of King Vittorio Emanuele. There is also a small theatre and billiard room too. Outside, the gardens are pretty wild, the Limonaia is cool as are the huge Cedar trees. One can just imagine Florence’s first family, the Medici, spending some relaxing summers here...

Lucca

We drive on to Lucca, where we meet up with Rory and the guys. Lucca was one of our favourite cities from our holiday a few years ago. I follow my nose to the remnants of a food festival and we are treated to some free wine, homemade bread and cakes! We stroll through the elegant streets, past the pretty Romanesque Cathedral soaking up the atmosphere before heading back home, where some of the others have knocked up a big dinner for us!

To be continued...

(Original journal entry 17$/02)