View image gallery

Garfagnana

Over the centuries residents of Lucca built more than 300 villas in the hills around the city as their country residences. These are the last point of contact with civilizations before entering the rustic Garfagnana area, which offers excellent trekking, mountain bike and horse trails.

Villa Reale di Marlia

The neoclassical character of this villa dates back to 1806 when it became the property of Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon`s sister, and a radical reconstructing of the villa and the gardens began leading to the conversion to an English garden and construction of an artificial lake.
Garden can be visited by the general public. Hidden in the woods is the Grotto of Petar Pan, a special hiding place with mosaics and sculptures made of stone in the shape of flowers and plants. On one side of the central lawn a path leads to the heart of the garden where the gardens rooms join together; the first has lemon trees and a lake with swans, the second contains a gushing fountain and the third has a small theatre with seats made of boxwood hedges encircled with exotic plants.

Villa Mansi

Located at Segromigno, a few kilometers from Marila, it was originally a simple 16th Century country home. Its rich facade dating from the late renaissance with its ornate statues were added later together with two pavilions. The double ramped staircase rising to the three-arched portico is most effective. Inside, the 18th Century Venetian furnishings have remained as they were. Outside the garden has been modernized several times.

Villa Torrigiani

Two kilometers from Villa Mansi is Villa Torrigiani. An avenue of Cyprus trees leads you almost the imposing Baroque facade surmounted with statues. The interior contains the original decorations.

Going back up the Serchio River which runs through Garfagnana, we come to Bagni di Lucca whose water springs were known in Roman times for their beneficial properties. This isn’t really a town, but rather a locality with many different hamlets hidden amongst the chestnut trees. In one of these hamlets, Ponte Serraglio, the oldest casino in Europe (1840) was built in neoclassical style. Inside is a collection of objects and furnishings used for gaming since the 18th Century. Today, Bagni di Lucca remains a fitness and health centre with well equipped spa facilities, making full use of its 19 thermal springs.

Castelnuovo, the administrative centre of Garfagnana, shows evidence of the predominance there of the Este family.

Versilia

This is the name of the coast which extends from Viareggio to Liguria.
Viareggio dates from 400 AD and was for centuries the access point to the sea of Lucca.

Forte dei Marmi

The Forte (Fort) was built by Leopold I in 1788 when he reclaimed the marshlands in the area and is similar to the port used to transport Apuane marble. During the 19th century the town was "discovered" by a group of intellectuals and artist who made it into the literary meeting place it is today.
Today Forte dei Marmi is one of the most fashionable beach resorts in Italy and the holiday destination of many famous literary and show business personalities.

Torre del Lago Puccini

This strip of land formed out of a large piece of coast extending from the lake to the sea has been sparsely populated since 18th Century because of its marsh-like nature.
Massaciuccoli Lake is the largest in Tuscany even though it is no more than 2 meters deep at any point. It forms part of vast national park which extends to Pisa and includes the strip of land called Migliarino and the Tenuta di San Rossore (park) which has a marshland larger than the lake attracting many different species of birds to nest there.
The name of Pucini was added to the original name of Tore del Lago because he spent the last years of his life there. His villa, now a museum, contains many original furnishings together with photographs, portraits, documents and the piano on which he composed. In July and August the Puccini Festival organize a series of performances in the splendid setting of an outdoor theatre.