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By Arnie Greenberg, ultours@gmail.com I don't know why more tour groups don't include Lucca. This one-time capital of Toscana has everything the traveler looks for. It is saturated in history, beautiful surroundings, ancient winding streets, a defensive wall that is now a walkway rivaling most parks, and some awesome restaurants. Lucca looks like an ancient Italian city should look. Even on a Sunday, when I was last there, was there the bustle of Luccans going out for a Sunday lunch. Yet, I wouldn't call it crowded. Many people were there for the antique show spread out over three city blocks. To think that you are only an hour from both Florence and the sea near Pisa is another reason to choose Lucca as a destination. To gaze out at the Luccan plain on three sides of the city is to discover age-old palaces built by Lucchesi merchants of the 15th and 16th centuries…and one special grand complex built by Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister who was sovereign of Lucca with her husband during the occupation until 1813. Here at Villa Real in the hamlet of Marlia, she converted a bishop's palace with 17th-century gardens with the magnificent Teatro (Theatre) di Verzura. But it's within the walls of Lucca that I discovered the magic of Tuscany. Dating back 1,000 years BC, Lucca became a Roman colony in 180 BC and was the site of the famous meeting between Caesar, Pompey and Crassus that gave rise to the first Triumvirate. It was taken by Barbarians and became the capital of Etruria in 570. But we move to 1650, when the new city walls were built and Lucca became a defensive Capital. Those walls are still there with walkways and hundreds of gentle forest trees over a 4 kilometer distance, offering a park-like space for the inhabitants to stroll, shielded from the Tuscan sun. I entered by the Piazzale G.Verdi and headed into the center along the Via S. Paolino. Here I came to the 1858 birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, where pilgrims come to pay their respects. As I stand by the bronze statue of the great opera composer, I hear the strains of Tosca, La Boheme and Madam butterfly resonating in my brain. I continue for a visit to San Michele, a few steps away, but there is a crowded service, so I don't linger. I turn right on Via Vittorio Veneto to the grand Piazza Napoleon, then left to the grand Duomo. It is here that the antique market flourishes, but my interests are elsewhere. I head for the main shopping street, the narrow but fashionable Via Fillungo. My goal is the Piazza Anfiteatro, a short walk away. At the tiny Piazza Scarpellini, I turn into one of my favorite places in Italy. Here the piazza is an oval of buildings, where once the city's amphitheatre stood. I can visualize ceremonies in the oval, while people watch from their balconies above. This is history for me. I am on hallowed ground, and in the distance I spot the Tower Alberata, one of the city's symbolic monuments with its centuries-old ilex trees growing on the 41-meter summit. But by now I am also prodded by the wonderful smells of the Lucchesi cooking their Sunday lunch. I head back towards Puccini's home. I had spotted an interesting self-service rosticceria called 'Piccolo Mondo' -- and I was happy I did. Here I watched the locals order their special take-out delicacies for the family waiting at home. I climbed the stairs to the second floor, where a dozen people sat at tables enjoying their meal. I passed up the eel and the rabbit stew, but dined simply on gnocchi, green salad and the special Lucchese round desert cake called 'Buccellato," which I was told was made with vanilla and anise. Their digestive, China Lucchesi Massagli, which I passed on, is an elixir of quinine, alcohol, long steeping bark and herbs. They did have a large array of Montecarlo and Colline Lucchesi wines and local cheeses, but it was time to leave. I did, however, purchase a small bottle of Lucca oil, special-quality oil that is a perfect combination of color, taste and aroma. I leave the city, knowing I have just seen a special place. My head and stomach are filled with one of the great Tuscan cities: Lucca. I know I'll be back. For
more information contact: A.P.T
Central Tourist office Restaurant PICCOLO
MONDO (Click here to read about Shirley-Fong Torres in Bologna)
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