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[sec_title3 t3head=”Lovely views of Lucca”]Not to be missed in the old town[/sec_title3][one_half_column][accordion acctitle=”History and Art in Museums”]

National Museum VILLA GUINIGI – 0583 496033A rich and interesting collection of works of art intimately linked to the history of Lucca, from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century. Villa Guinigi houses a fascinating journey that documents the activities of Lucca and foreign artists who worked in the territory of Lucca. Important archaeological finds of Etruscan and Roman, masterpieces of thirteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Finally prominent eighteenth-century works.CARTOON Museum – 0583 56326The Italian Museum of Comics and Image is located in the former Caserma Lorenzini in the historical center of Lucca. Born in 2008 with the intention of combining fantasy, modernity and reality, the museum contains original works for fans and curious. Numerous exhibitions and related events (such as Comics) increase its prominence and its particularity both nationally and internationally. The pleasant and surreal atmosphere of the museum is given by the idea of the “old factory” which is composed of simple elements, such as iron doors and rough walls as black as ink, and technological elements, such as light panels chameleon colored. Visitors go into the realm of stories and comics in an interactive journey of more than 2,400 images organized in different thematic rooms.Lu.C.C.A. Center of Contemporary Art – 0583 492180Housed in the environments of Palazzo Boccella, said “at Fratta” (near Piazza Anfiteatro), is the result of a project of renovation and redevelopment which saw the birth of a museum dedicated to contemporary art. The historical evidence related to the architectural structure of the Museum is well contrasted to the clean and aseptic rooms prepared to accommodate any work and installation of contemporary art. Particular attention is given to the external lighting of the Palace with the suggestive impact of a peculiar play of light. The historical context of Lucca and the modern structure of the Museum make Lu.C.C.A an active and prestigious center of contemporary art.National Art Gallery PALAZZO MANSI – 0583 583461The National Art Gallery of Lucca, located since 1977 in Palazzo Mansi, is one of the most rich and magnificent mansions of the city, built between the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. Remained intact over time, the Palace has many of its rooms still with its original furnishings. The monumental apartment on the main floor makes the Pinacoteca di Palazzo Mansi an elegant exhibition space containing works of great value: in fact, is also an important collection of painting from Lucca and a collection of fabrics, garments and furniture from the eighteenth to the twentieth century.Museum Ensemble of the CATHEDRAL – 0583 490530The museum complex of the Cathedral and Church of S. Giovanni includes three different areas of great historical importance to the city of Lucca: the archaeological site of the Church of Santi Giovanni e Reparata, the Cathedral Museum and the sacristy of the Cathedral of San Martino, where is the famous tomb of Ilaria del Carretto. A visit to the museum complex is an interesting way to learn about the underlying architecture of the artistic tradition of Lucca dating back to different historical periods.The birthplace of GIACOMO PUCCINI – 0583 584028Converted into a museum in 1979, the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini was reopened in 2011 after major restoration work that reported the apartment to the original arrangement and totally renovated the interior. The Museum is located in the apartment where the composer was born and has lived all his childhood and early youth, the years of familiarity with the music and of systematic studies, before moving to Milan, where in 1884 he began the operatic career that has made him one of the best-known and best-loved composers in history. The museum houses original furnishings, precious objects that belonged to the musician (the Steinway & Sons piano on which he composed Turandot), autograph scores of youthful compositions, many letters, paintings, photographs, sketches, memorabilia, and material documenting the work of the composer.

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Palazzo e Torre GUINIGI – 0583 316846Built towards the end of 1500, it is a typical building in Romanesque-Gothic style. The height of over 40 meters of the tower allows you to observe a truly unique and wonderful view of the city of Lucca.Torre delle ORE – 0583 583086It is located in via Fillungo, the main street of Lucca, and is the tallest tower in the city. The clock tower has been active since 1390. Once at the top, after 207 steps, you can see (in addition to the view of the city and the surrounding mountains) the manual winding mechanism, one of the last still operating throughout Europe.Palazzo PFANNER – 340 9233085Palazzo Pfanner in Lucca is definitely one of the most remarkable mansions dating back to the 1600’s. Its garden is still a rare and prestigious example of Baroque style. Currently the building houses an exhibition of costumes of the court of Lucca in 1700 and 1800.Villa BUONVISI – 0583 442141Villa Buonvisi “at the Garden” has a remarkable historical significance: his compositional scheme in fact worked as a model for the construction of many villas in the Lucca area. Large openings, the play of symmetries and proportions between the architectural elements give the building a graceful and harmonious ease that is rarely found in other villas of Lucca. The frescoes on the ceilings of the living room and the porch are the only evidence of decoration of the interiors of the sixteenth century remained in the villas of Lucca. More neoclassical decorations were added in the nineteenth century when the villa was owned by the princess Baciocchi.Palazzo DUCALE – 0583 4171Palazzo Ducale for eight centuries has been the political and administrative center of the city: is currently the seat of the Province of Lucca. The architectural evolution of the building is inextricably linked to historical and political events of the ancient Res Publica Lucensis. Entering the courtyard from Piazza Napoleone is possible to cover the eight centuries of history admiring the wall of Cortile degli Svizzeri (fourteenth century), passing through the arches of the Loggia dell’Ammannati (sixteenth century), crossing the neoclassical Passaggio delle Carrozze to come before the Palazzina Nuova of Lorenzo Nottolini.Piazza ANFITEATROThe Roman amphitheater, now buried about three feet, was built outside the city walls in the first or second century AD. Elliptical in shape, could accommodate up to ten thousand spectators. The building fell into ruin during the barbarian invasions, became for centuries a kind of hollow building materials: the entire coating and all columns were stripped. Following on the ruins remained began to overlap homes and buildings which, using the remaining structures of the amphitheater, retained perfectly its shape. The present splendid square, singular and unique in its kind, was designed by the architect Nottolini (1830) who tore down some buildings in the center and created around the way called precisely Amphitheatre.

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