A curious story regarding the tomb of the merchant Tignosini

Posted on January 23, 2020 by admin

Just a few steps away from the tombstone commemorating Adele, at the corner of the second cloister near the entrance to the Church of San Francesco, visitors will note an old medieval tombstone with a lunette overhead that has one of the oldest frescoes in Lucca. The tomb dates 1274 and contains the remains of a merchant of Lucca, who was named Tignosini. In the chronicles of San Francesco, compiled in the 17th century by the archivist of the convent, there is a lot of information and news regarding the foundation of the convent, much of which is unpublished, strange, and sometimes, quite disturbing. The rich merchant Tignosini, who was a resident in the parish of San Frediano, died in 1286. He had expressed the desire of being buried in the Church of San Francesco in his will, probably...

The exterior graffiti on the Church of San Michele

Posted on January 7, 2020 by admin

On the south-facing external wall of the church, at about a height of two meters, we can make out some medieval graffiti dating back to about the mid-14th century. There are several depictions that passers-by in a hurry will have difficulty seeing and understanding. Starting on the left, there is a fairly large phallus, then a walled city with towers, domes, and flags. Above it, there is a rough outline of a sailboat, similar to what we would have drawn as children in our notebooks. You might think that some youngster, with nothing better to do, had played a prank and defaced the white walls of the Romanesque church the evening before. This is not the case and the proof lies just a short distance away. There are sentences written in Gothic script and some in Hebrew. I don’t...

The Last Supper by Tintoretto in the Cathedral of San Martino

Posted on December 30, 2019 by admin

Eleven Unusual Things to See in Lucca If you search the web for things you should see or do when visiting an area, you’ll probably find a list of the top ten things and usually they’re pretty typical. Well, I’m suggesting eleven because I’ve decided to go one better. Actually, if I were to think of all the particular places or things to see or do in Lucca, the list would be endless. Inside the Cathedral of San Martino, at the third altar of the right aisle, there is a painting of the Last Supper of Christ painted by the famous Venetian painter Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto. This was the last work painted by the artist, aided by his son Domenico, dating 1594, the year of his death. This painting, like the others present in the church, is...

The Labyrinth

Posted on November 15, 2019 by admin

… and then, without knowing how or why, I found myself within the labyrinth of lights and shadows, which I had shown and explained to others countless times, without having ever entered it. This almost seems to paraphrase the beginning of the famous tercet from Dante’s Divine Comedy where “the straight path was lost”. The analogy has often crossed my mind when thinking of the 12th-century labyrinth located on the pillar next to the bell tower of the Cathedral of San Martino. I am a tourist guide of Lucca. For at least twenty five years, I have shown this sculpted marble relief to thousands of tourists. I do not remember how many times I have narrated its tale and tried to explain its significance but always from the “outside”. Then suddenly, without intending to, I found myself inside it....

Doors and Doorways in Lucca

Posted on November 4, 2019 by admin

A daily act repeated innumerable times such as closing the door of your home behind you, in places like Europe, especially Italy, can be equivalent to leaving behind a piece of history or even a veritable work of art. Lucca, a Tuscan city, enclosed by tree-lined 16th-century walls, has preserved its buildings through the centuries. Like multilayer and multi flavoured cakes, plaster, bricks, stones, roof tiles, doors and windows have been kept or changed seamlessly to create buildings of multiple layers and ‘flavours’. In particular, many doors and doorways have acquired a certain allure through the ages. It does not matter whether they conceal the entrance to a modest dwelling or to the loggia of an ancient palazzo. It does not matter if they are doors to shops or to secret gardens. They are beautiful and fascinating. Perhaps due...

Turislucca’s New YouTube Channel

Posted on March 20, 2019 by admin

There’s a new way to talk about Lucca and Tuscany:  Turislucca has started its own YouTube channel! To inaugurate the channel, we’ve decided to post two videos that take a look at Lucca’s preeminent symbol, the city walls. The massive, tree-lined Renaissance walls completely surround the historical center of the city.   Since 1513, this imposing piece of artistic heritage has been diligently safeguarded and to date, is one of the most important and impressive monuments in all of Italy.   Gabriele Calabrese, well-known tourist guide and founding partner of Turislucca, accompanies us to learn about this marvelous wonder.  He explains that the Walls were constructed to defend Lucca from its enemies and today, are a city park to be enjoyed by all: stroll, jog, cycle, play, or relax on them. He takes us to the interior of the...

Christmas in Lucca

Posted on December 19, 2018 by admin

With the excuse of visiting markets, Christmas street markets, nativity scenes, Christmas exhibitions, you can also tour Lucca. Let’s unite pleasure with …. pleasure …. in just five easy steps. 1. Santa Maria Corteorlandini and its Nativity Scenes This is one of the most beautiful and little-known churches in Lucca. The Christmas period is a perfect time to visit it. Its name is aristocratic and important. The Rolandinghi family, in the Early Middle Ages, resided in this square leaving the high-sounding name to the Church. It also has another name used by the locals, Santa Maria Nera, and shortly we will discover why. The church has a sober exterior but is richly decorated inside as was the case with the majority of the palazzos of Lucca’s aristocracy. Columns, arches, altars, and lavish frescoes done by the best artists of...

Individual Tours: Cooking Lessons in Lucca

Posted on December 13, 2018 by admin

You’re never alone in the kitchen especially when taking our individual cooking tours. Inside the walls of Lucca, there are many excellent restaurants that serve, depending on the time of year, piatto forte, buccellato, garmugia, rapini, gobbi, rovelline, trippa, verdure al tegame… Fantastic, but what are they exactly? And how can you boast to friends, once you return home, about the beauty of the hills of Lucca dotted with 17th/18th-century monumental villas, and the wonderful cuisine that stimulated you to take cooking lessons in order to learn how to make the dishes perfectly? No problem, it’s easy. Just call us! We can organize a guided tour that takes you through the spectacular hills of olive groves and vineyards and through the villas with their parks and gardens, which, depending on the season, are blooming with camellias, azaleas, wisteria, and...

Guided tours: Lucca or Pisa?

Posted on September 19, 2018 by admin

Lucca or Pisa: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to stroll along the Renaissance walls of Lucca or go to Pisa to admire the medieval Piazza dei Miracoli. Well, both can be done with a bit of organization. A guided tour of Lucca, which by the city’s own volition is not part of traditional tourist itineraries, is a favorite among those who want to see the real Tuscany. The Tuscany of small towns and hamlets full of art; where there are small gems to discover, photograph, talk about, and share; where you can slow down, linger, and relax. No competition with Renaissance Florence or medieval Siena. Lucca is kind of a world unto itself. Secluded, reserved, but abounding with small and large treasures waiting to be found. Everyone is familiar with Piazza Anfiteatro (a great...

Torre delle Ore – Tower of the Hours: The Hours of Lucca

Posted on August 21, 2018 by admin

You could pass right beside it and not even notice. Torre delle Ore, Lucca’s clock tower, is tucked away in a corner of Via Fillungo, amid other tall medieval buildings. In the 13th century, the tower belonged to the Diversi family and then subsequently passed to other important families of Lucca. The change of hands was not always peaceable hence the nickname the “tower of dispute”. It wasn’t simply one of the many palazzo towers of medieval Lucca. It was one of the tallest of the city and its prime location on Via Fillungo made it symbolically unparalleled. For this reason, the General Council of Lucca arranged to rent it and place a good-sized clock on it to mark the hours. In 1490, the Council finally purchased the tower and commissioned the most prestigious jeweler and goldsmith, Labruccio Cerlotti...