Turislucca

the Devil's Bridge

The Devil’s Bridge, Borgo a Mozzano

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When you get to Borgo a Mozzano, you cannot help but remain awestruck by the Maddalena Bridge better known as the Devil’s Bridge. With its legendary origins and its humpback shape, a testament to great creative intuition, it is the gateway to the Serchio River Valley. There are several devil bridges throughout Europe, each with its own legend often tied to local beliefs. In the past, bridges were quite rare and when they connected the banks of very large rivers or had daring shapes, they evoked amazement and the belief that the work could not have been done by human hands alone. This has been the case since Roman times when Julius Caesar had a wooden bridge built across the Rhine River, which he later destroyed. The Germans consequently stopped raiding Gallia for a long time because they believed...

A view of Borgo a Mozzano

Borgo a Mozzano

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The town of Borgo a Mozzano is located on the right bank of the Serchio River with the Apuan Alps (Alpi Apuane) on the west and the Apennines on the east. It is the administrative center of an area rich in history, legends, and traditions. Borgo a Mozzano is known for one of the most mysterious and fascinating monuments in the entire province of Lucca: the Maddalena Bridge more commonly known as the Devil’s Bridge. The 90-meter long bridge is a remarkable piece of medieval engineering and associated with a rather particular legend. Borgo a Mozzano, however, is not only the Devil’s Bridge, its old historical center is worthy of a stroll to discover interesting buildings, churches, squares, and small gardens. In the gardens, azalea plants, which in the language of plants symbolize maternal love, can often be admired....

August Video

Lucca through time: August

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Yes, August is here. It is the month when the land yields its ripest, juiciest fruit and vegetables. And so we meet up, once again, with our medieval farmer in the loggia of the Duomo of San Martino in Lucca, who is hard at work and introduces us to the theme of this month, the agriculture of Lucca and territory. Read all

Lucca through time – June

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After the digressions of April and May, the farmer is with us once again. He has rolled up his sleeves and is back at work. In fact, in the panel representing the month of June at the Duomo of Lucca, the farmer is harvesting wheat.

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Lucca through time: April

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Remember the panels of the months located in the portico of Lucca’s Cathedral of San Martino? Well, to describe the passage of time, there isn’t only a farmer, as we saw in January, February, and March. April is represented by a well-dressed nobleman and so is May. We’ll talk about May next month; now we’re going to concentrate on April. April is depicted by a young man, who is looking in a mirror, and makes us think about beauty, youth and vanitas. In this video, we take a look at fashion and beauty in the sacred and the profane, the past and the present, the Cathedral Museum and the Museum of Palazzo Mansi. We meet up with the eternally-damned, quintessential beauty of Lucca, Lucida Mansi. She is the expression of vanitas to the nth degree, a Dorian Gray or...

Lucca through time – March

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March the month of change. It’s the end of darkness and the beginning of light, a rebirth. The farmer, in the loggia of San Martino, is pruning and grafting fruit plants so they can return to life after winter dormancy.

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Lucca through time – February

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January has come and gone and it’s now February, the second month of the year. Do you remember the sculpted medieval panels in the loggia of the Cathedral of Lucca, San Martino? I’m sure you do. February is depicted by a fisherman, intent upon catching a nice-sized fish with his fishing pole. Why was fishing chosen as a means to procure food in winter? In the Middle Ages, more so than today, the territory surrounding Lucca was extremely water-rich. Streams, brooks, the many tributaries of the Serchio River, nearby lakes and marshes supplied many varieties of fish. Even in winter, nature offered opportunities to find nourishment. And today, our territory is being revitalized by the return of many species of animals which had been absent from it for a very long time. In particular, the green area immediately outside...