A little of Pisa (Piazza dei Miracoli) & Lucca

[lugg]

.
This short trip was a bit of a lottery; I had a few days off and wanted to go away somewhere I had not visited before and that I could get a reasonable flight to. By reasonable I was looking a short flight time, low cost and ok flight times from a nearby airport. So searching through the timetables I found that Pisa fulfilled these criteria. The basic cost with no luggage was just about £100. Initially I looked at staying in Pisa itself but gradually realised that Lucca a city to the north may be more of my kind of place. I always prefer apartments to hotels and again was lucky due to the strong pound and found a bargain in Lucca itself. Although I’d planned initially to travel solo, my sister managed to get some time away too and so we went together. I have seen very little of Italy – only having been to Venice previously and so was not sure of what to expect. Actually I lost my heart to Lucca and hope to return soon to see more of it and explore more of this part of Italy.
Arriving at Pisa airport mid am we caught a train to the central railway station and stored our baggage there. The great advantage to Pisa is that the airport is just a few minutes from the city with great public transport links. We decided that although we wanted to get to Lucca by the afternoon we could not miss seeing the main tourist site - Piazza dei Miracoli. We caught the bus (LAM Rossa) from just outside the station. This was the only sour note of our trip. When I got on the bus, concentrating on getting my ticket verified, a man put his hand in my handbag presumably trying to steal my purse. I did not notice but fortunately my sister spotted him and shouted at him to stop, gave him a verbal berating and he got off the bus and disappeared, no gain from me.
Travelling light has some disadvantages - I only had a pocket camera and a tablet for photos this trip so some of the photos are not the greatest.
So getting off the bus it’s a bit a lot tacky just outside the entrance to the Piazza– a few tourist type market stalls selling tower mugs, t shirts and fridge magnets etc . and a “McCafe” . However, despite the crowd, the sight as I entered took my breath away . I had not realised just how stunning the piazza is. Intermittently it was quite sunny and the white marble of the buildings was dazzling in its intensity.



The Baptistery is the first major building you pass as you enter


Next the cathedral, the oldest building which was commenced in 1064 !


Finally the bell tower itself


Of course there are some other important buildings also – this shows the piazza as a whole.



We found a little café with a great view through the window so stopped for a drink and shared this scrummy cake. (We ate and drank very well on this trip but more of that later)







…of course we did some people watching, this guy caught our eye as he reminded of someone we know,



We then wandered around the piazza , we had planned to go to go into the cathedral but as a mass was on decided against it although tourists were still allowed in part of the building, so unfortunately no indoor shots this time.





















This magnificent bronze door is one of several entrances to the cathedral




Here is some of the detail , the owl was more polished than many parts so obviously many people over the centuries have touched him for good luck.











I think this is part of the Ospedale Nuovo di Santo Spirito – built in the 1200s for the poor, abandoned and ill and to provide shelter for pilgrims.





We saw this group of young people several times during our brief stay, I suspect they were students but was not sure of the purpose, but they seemed to be having fun anyway,




So after a very pleasant couple of hours it was time to head to the station to catch a train to Lucca . Of course Pisa is much more than this tourist mecca … but that’s maybe for another trip.





Of course being an Any porter I had to take this to add to the collection …


Next Lucca….

[Deleted]

I was in Pisa only once and that was back in 1971. You have certainly made me want to return with these delightful pictures.

I hope I find my old slides some day to see what has changed over the years. I am very certain that the buildings are much cleaner than when I was there.

[anshjain97]

In Pisa I only visited Piazza dei Miracoli before going to Lucca on a day trip from Florence. Absolutely amazing architecture, hope to revisit soon.

[mossie]

A super set of pics. More?

[htmb]

Really nice and interesting pictures, Lugg!

[lugg]

Thank you all.

Yes there is more to come Mossie.

K2 - if you find your slides I wonder if you will also note that the tower has less of a lean ? I read that in the last few years it appears to have been stabilised and even corrected somewhat since your visit, hence it is now re- opened to the public.

[lugg]

The time on the train from Pisa to Lucca is about 25 mins and offers the chance to see some of the countryside along the way, which for the most part is pretty unremarkable. Cost was a bargain 3.40 euros (at least compared to UK train travel)
Lucca’ s train station is just outside the walls so it was literally just a few minutes walk from the station into the medieval city. I had a vague sense of where our apartment was so we headed in that direction, negotiating entry through the impressive walls via a tunnel .
Here is a link to a map of Lucca for those who are interested.
www.orangesmile.com/common/img_city_maps/lucca-map-1.jpg


I am not sure how much detail can be seen from this photo of the map we used so may remove it if of no use .



Before going to the apartment we had a brief stop for a Bellini to celebrate our arrival.



I knew that it was very close to the Torre Guinigi so having spotted this very distinctive tower headed that way.



The apartment itself was lovely , I could happily stay here for much longer and we learnt from the owner that many people do , coming back year after year and booking it for a month or even longer.
The cost was just over £30 pppn - so great value . Here are a few pics of the apartment for anyone who is like me and likes to see where people stay. It part of one of the ancient houses that the Guinigi family had owned in the past, up on the top floor which meant that it looked over the roof tops of Lucca.
www.luccaworld.com/eng-site/main-lucca-guinigi.html for more about the Guinigis.











… of course we did not turn the TV on at all – even though the owner told us it had Sky. Frankly I would prefer it if Sky was banned so as to stop the many eyesore satellite dishes spoiling the roof top views. But of course this is a town that is mostly for living in not pandering to the whims of its tourists.






The view from my bed – (more of the torre itself later)



That evening we had our first taste of Lucchese food at a local trattoria with a local table wine – all very lovely. We ate at trattoria Gigi one of the recommendations from the owner of our apartment. I had already thought it would be a good option after reading this article. www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/travel/24LUCCA.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


Inside Gigi


We did indeed have a plate of fried veg on the side –


In fact the food was so good and the staff so friendly we went back on our last night and enjoyed this antipasto


Day 1 in Lucca to follow…

[fumobici]

You made it I see. Even had time for a pasta and coffee in Pisa! A couple of years back Lucca was all the buzz, it was very nice before all the buzz and I'm quite sure it'll still be equally lovely, buzz or no, for a long, long time. Look forward to seeing more.

[mich64]

Excellent Lugg! How fortunate you are to be able to take a few days away to a place like this. I have to make a plan some day to see that bronze door and to sit and enjoy a Bellini, it looks delicious as does the fried vegetables. Anxious for more of this report.

[lugg]

Thanks both - yes I made it Fumobici and had a lovely meal at your recommended Osteria . As I post more I hope you will be able to judge if its still lovely. I certainly thought so.
Mich - more to follow but back to work tomorrow so not for a few days.

[nycgirl]

How nice, another Pisa report! You captured some lovely details of the the place.

I see that the dome of the Baptistery is covered with what looks like new tiles. Any idea if a big renovation project is underway?

Your Lucca apartment is a charmer and such a good bargain. It's a better value than what I paid for a youth hostel when I first visited Italy.

Looking forward to more.

[Deleted]

I want that dinner.

[tod2]

Such a wonderful photo essay! One of my places still to visit but you have given such wonderful tips on how to go about it.
Looking forward to more Lugg.

[lugg]

Thank you

NYC girl - not sure - we did notice that often there was a difference in the quality of the building materials used on many buildings at the front as opposed to the back, although I'm not sure that would apply to the baptistery.

Me too K2 in fact I am attempting to re-create this coming Sunday - I guess it is ok once in a while with lots of healthy eating in between.

Tod - I think you would really enjoy Lucca, more coming up

[lugg]

Some of the sights of Lucca during Day 1.
A little more info first - Lucca is such a walkable small city – although there are cars , zones are restricted or even completely car free, many people travel on bicycle and the skills of those that do are quite remarkable as they negotiate the narrow and sometimes crowded streets . As we watched I was determined to coax my sister into hiring a bike before we left. The walls that encircle the medieval part of Lucca are about 2.5 miles in total .
Heading towards east towards the walls we came across Via del Fosso with its mini canal which marks the boundary of the medieval part of town



Gates to looking back the medieval heart of the town




Lots of washing hung out from balconies- maybe Monday is still the traditional wash day here in Lucca?






There are lots of places to fill your water bottles – this is just one that we saw in this area



Everywhere we walked there was something to admire,




Meandering on we came upon Piazza S. Franceso








The rear is less ornate





Next stop the Botanical garden . Not a great time of year to visit as many plants were only just starting to sprout , especially the medicinal herbs/ plants. However we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around. The gardens were founded in 1820 by Marie Luisa Borbone to support a botany course at the University which she also founded. More about her …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Luisa_of_Spain,_Duchess_of_Lucca

Here are just a few pics of the many I took,

At the entrance this building houses the toilet but the main reason for going inside is the opportunity to look under the city wall. The little patch of green which can be seen to the left of the building is covering wall itself.






Although early some magnolias were flouting their blossom, the smell from this one was divine ,





The indoor area with the cacti and succulents was slightly bizarre







Back outside I was delighted to see this Cypress tree complete with knees, the pond had many fish , including some huge carp and was a nice place to sit and rest







There are many legends associated with Lucca , as you would imagine in such an ancient place , but this is the tale of this particular pond,


Help please - Are these osmunds ?






Psychedelic bark – of a variety of beech ??







Heading out of the garden we then walked a little way along the city walls, I think these may be cannon balls,



Beyond the walls are “ modern Lucca, it also looked a nice place to explore, but that will have to wait until my next visit,






Heading back into the old town we passed this street which I guess in another week or two will be even more beautiful,



Piazza Napoleone
In the Summer this square hosts a music festival which attracts many acts, something I would like to see for myself , however March was a quiet time in the piazza, the sun was shining and we stopped for lunch

www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/aroundtuscany/top-summer-music-festivals-in-tuscany/


A few steps away from the piazza ,..











We wandered along some of the main shopping streets –







Next stop climbing Torre Guinigi.

[Deleted]

It's all fascinating and wonderful to see, so it is hard to know where to start. But the botanical details are outstanding.

[bjd]

It's all lovely and picturesque. It looks like a nice town for wandering around, although I imagine it must get awfully crowded with tourists in the summer.

For the cypress trees, what you call "knees" -- are those the aerial roots called pneumatophores? (I only know the word because I had to look it up one day when we saw some and wondered what they were.)

[tod2]

Yes Lugg, I think you are absolutely right. I would enjoy Lucca! Your photos are splendid.
The close-up of those white blossoms ( maybe pear?) is gorgeous.

[lugg]

Yes Bjd I guess that is the correct word. I had never seen them until recently but they caught my imagination after reading one of Bixa's posts on here some time ago and seeing her photos of them, then shortly after to my surprise I saw them at Kew Gardens in London. More recently I have also seen them on land that was owned by the Marquess of Bath in Wiltshire.

I think it is pear blossom too Tod.

Thanks all for your comments.

[lugg]

Next stop Torre Guinigi.

Lucca once had numerous tower houses, I think I read that there were approx. 250, but few ?7 survive today. They were built by wealthy families / merchants around the 1300s on top of their palace homes. They were originally built for defensive reasons, to protect the families against disease and conflict. They were also used to display wealth as in “my towers bigger than your tower” and if the family fortunes dwindled as a result of financial loss or defeat in battle so did the tower. As I wandered around there was evidence of this with many de-capitated towers within the city's buildings.




The Guinigi family who ruled Lucca for a while built their tower around 1384. At 44.5 meters it was the tallest in the city. It is unusual in that it still topped with ancient oak holm trees. According to the guide leaflet , no-one knows how old the trees are other than they go back to 1600 at least. It is the only surviving tower out of the 4 that topped the group of palaces and houses owned by the family.







The tower has been donated to the city of Lucca and has been restored and opened to the public. Entrance from memory was about 4 euros.
The first part of the tower is fine for those who do not have a head for heights – solid stone floors , however the final part is via metal stairs and a ladder, at this point several people could not go any further, even although I am (usually) ok with heights it did make me gulp in parts and at times I had to concentrate on looking ahead and up and not down. The staircase occupies what would have been rooms originally as originally the stairs were on the outside of the building. If you look at some of the photos of the outside you may be able to see some of th stone supports for the wooden staircase.

So now the inside and the views on the way up ,







This is the little terrace outside the apartment in which we were staying,(taken at max zoom)






The final stage


The top and the views










This is Lucca’s cathedral


Snow still on the distant mountains




That evening I felt able to enjoy another great meal having worked off some calories. We went to the Osteria Baralla recommended by Fumobici

Very nice it was too , no food pics this time but here is a pic of the inside, showing its medieval origins

SPOILER: Click to show

anyportinastorm.proboards.com/thread/5510/lucca

[lugg]

Museo Nazionale Di Palazzo Mansi
The next day my sister had chosen a museum for us to see out of the very many available. She opted for Palazzo Mansi and what a great choice it was. It’s really a museum within a museum and whereas the art collection in the main did nothing for me , the rooms were stunning . Unfortunately due to staff shortages we could only visit the first floor and not the second as you are accompanied at all times by a guide. Entry to the museum was again 4 euros ( seemed to be the standard charge in Lucca ) However there are concessions and money off options if you combine a visit to another museum. Lucca is also offering free entry to some sights to anyone who is celebrating their birthday.
I don’t know whether it was the time of year or the day ( Monday) but we were the only people there. Of course I could not use the camera flash so the photos are not that great at times but should give a taste of the beautiful opulence.
I have taken this info from Wiki which seems to be accurate checking with the info leaflet I brought back,

The Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi is one of the two main art museum hosting tapestry collections and mainly post-19th century art collections owned by the city of Lucca, Italy. The collection is displayed in the Baroque palace, formerly belonging to the Mansi family, and located in central Lucca. Many of the original room decorations remain in place.[1]
The Palace was first erected at the site of a few earlier tower-houses bought in 1616 by the Luccan merchant of silk Ascanio Mansi and his descendants. While the facade retains earlier Renaissance window features, between 1686 and 1691, Ascanio's son Raffaello employed the architect Raffaello Mazzanti to further renovate the now palace, and the piano nobile rooms acquired the present decoration and a grand staircase access. The cooler ground floor rooms were turned into a summer apartment.
In the second half of the 18th-century, Luigi Mansi pursued further refurbishing. The Mansi family retained prestige in the early 19th century; Raffaele Mansi and Camilla Parensi had been appointed courtiers to Elisa Bonaparte and Felice Baciocchi. Raffaello Mansi Orsetti, who died in 1956, was the first to display the art collections to the public. In the mid-1960s his children sold the palace to the state, which has converted in to a National Museum of arts and tapestries.


Outside is a 19th century coach,


Late 18th century mirror gallery


The music room – the ceiling decoration aims to enhance the height of the room




Fresco detail


This photo unfortunately does not do justice to the quality of the painting this was so 3d it looked more like a sculpture





Just off the music room is a small chapel




Tapestry lined some of the walls


Silk on the main bedroom walls


The bed “ dosello” was also covered in silk embroidery


A poor pic of a gilt caryatid at the entrance to the bedroom


Moving along we came to another bedroom , less opulent











The rest of this floor of the house is given over to the art collection which we spent some time looking at before leaving . We passed this impressive vine on the way out which the guide told us produced table grapes for the family.


A final look up



More to follow ….

[htmb]

Lugg, I am finding this a very enjoyable read. The Guinigi tower with the trees is quite impressive. What outstanding views!

Too bad you were unable to see all of the museum, but what you did see appeared to be quite interesting.

[Deleted]

Increasingly lovely. I have always felt that there are more things to see in Italy than in France although I confess that I have not taken the necessary steps to prove it.

[anshjain97]

Truly amazing- I had no idea Lucca had so much to see! Hoping for the time I can return to Italy.

[lugg]

Thanks all.


Ok time to finish this thread – just a few last photos.
After visiting the museum we decided to hire bikes and ride around the whole of the perimeter – even stopping for photos occasionally it took about 40 mins at a leisurely pace .
Unfortunately we could not visit the Palazzo Pfanner and what are supposed to be very beautiful gardens as it did not open for the season until April . We were able to see the outside at least and a small part of the gardens as we cycled around the walls. Maybe next time …






After that time for lunch and we were searching out a particular place recommended by the apartment owner to try a very specific Lucchese speciality.
On the way we passed this shop advertising another Lucchese speciality, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buccellato_(di_Lucca)




We were in search of a very popular pizzeria frequented by locals – it has just a few tables inside and people spill out into the street finding wherever they can to perch and enjoy their pizzas and Cecina with a glass of wine. Although the pizza was just to my taste – thin and crisp I had really come to try Cecine which is a kind of pancake made out of chick pea flour. Delicious. I think that there is something almost identical eaten in South France - not sure of the name?


After lunch we wandered in search of the Roman past, I was hoping that we would be able to see the roman ruins under San Michele in Foro built upon the site of the original Roman forum . The present day church dates from 1143 onwards but there has been a church on the site since the 700s. Unfortunately we did not see the ruins but the church façade itself is quite breath taking.









The inside was quite austere in comparison



The surrounding buildings in this piazza are also interesting.






Puccini who was born in Lucca was a choirboy at this church. I have not said much about the strong association with music that Lucca has. Our apartment was close to a music school and we sat and listened to some great classical music during our stay. From April operas are performed nightly but unfortunately we did not get to go as at this time of year they are only performed on Friday and Saturday.
www.puccinielasualucca.com/



Other glimpses of the city Roman past include the Piazza dell Anfiteatro. Buildings in the central part were pulled down in the 1800s to restore the Piazza to the original shape as far as possible.





Very little of the original Roman building remains but sporadic glimpses can be found on the external walls,





We were warned that the restaurants within this piazza are not that great and also quite pricey but we stopped and soaked up the atmosphere with an Aperol Spritz and very enjoyable it was too. To be honest we did not find anywhere that expensive in Lucca and no sense of feeling ripped off like for example in Venice. In fact when we returned the bikes in under the hour we had rented the guy there insisted on giving us money off another time we were given free freshly made cake when we stopped for coffee. The people were very genuinely friendly.
That’s it guys, until the next time .

[bjd]

Thanks for this report, Lugg. Lucca looks like a lovely town and well worth a visit. I imagine the friendly locals and not being ripped off has to do with your being there out of high tourist season.

About the towers -- here in Toulouse in the old centre, there are also towers on some large old houses. In order to have the right to build a tower, the owner had to be a "capitoul", or a municipal councillor, in those days. Perhaps the prestige of those towers was similar to those of Lucca.

[tod2]

That was brilliant Lugg! You certainly fitted in a lot for such a short visit.
It is still my dream to visit Venice and other parts of Italy....maybe next year?

[fumobici]

Great report lugg, far better than my little attempt at a Lucca thread earlier. Having only spent two days there myself, I now want to go back and do further explorations, there is obviously much more to see than I had the chance to get to.

[lagatta]

The chickpea crêpe is called socca in Nice and Menton, faïna in Ligurian dialects across the Italian border ... and in Argentina and Uruguay.

I loved this report, and I love that little self-catering flat. You had that sweet little terrace. Where did you do your shopping?

Tod, Venice is most certainly worth seeing, but at times it does seem like a theme park city. And one does feel ripped-off there, as indifferent pizza is at least twice what it would be in other Italian towns (or mainland suburbs such as Mestre), and the real Venetian specialities are expensive. (They are much less so in surrounding towns). I only stayed there a couple of nights, as I was going to study east of there, in Udine.

While it was wonderful to wake up in Venice, I wonder whether I'd rather stay in Mestre if I returned. When I say it is a suburb, I don't mean sprawly tract houses. europeforvisitors.com/venice/planner/blp_venice_hotels_mainland.htm It is definitely easier to park a car there (even in the "centre") if you are hiring a car to explore the beautiful towns and villages of the region. You can also get to trains from Mestre as well as central Venice for such explorations. Oh, it isn't as magical as Venice - which I like best in the very early morning - but it has the charm of a place where ordinary families live. I also found some of that on the islands in Arsenale, at the tip of Venice - I was so happy to see children playing and a general goods shop!

[bixaorellana]

Lugg, I suspect the generosity of the bicycle guy and the coffee shop people was a direct reaction to your (& your sister's) happiness and enjoyment of their city. That certainly comes across in this lovely and illuminating report.

My head would have been swiveling like an owl's and I would have been walking into things as I tried to take in all that glorious architecture. You certainly did it justice with your pictures. Super narrative, as well.

Even though a few things weren't available to you because of the time of year, would you consider returning at that time simply to avoid the crowds? Or, if you were advising someone, would you say a certain time is the absolute best?