A Wisteria Walk Through Lucca

Lucca has to be one of the most wonderful places for walking. For starters, the renaissance wall surrounding the city provides a long path, a tree-lined beauty, perfect for both a passeggiata (stroll) and for people watching. Not far outside the city is an old aqueduct which provides several miles of walking path along its beautiful arches. Inside the historic center of town the streets are lined with medieval buildings, unique patterned brickwork, remnants of Roman civilization, churches, and piazzas. There is no shortage of interesting paths to take or beauty to behold.

The shadows cast by this wisteria are just as interesting as the blooms themselves.

And while just wandering through all of these fabulous sights is wonderful, sometimes I feel that I need a purposeful walk. Not purposeful as in needing to walk to the grocery store or bakery but rather a focused walk, one to discover something specific. Some days I go walking and try to find a street I’ve never seen before. Often I do a photography walk - last week I searched for and took photos of old, neglected doors. The week before it was door knockers and doorbells.

This glorious wall of wisteria is in Piazza Antelminelli. The church of San Giovanni is in the background.

In spring, my favorite walks are to discover what is blooming. In March I took an almost daily walk down Corso Garibaldi, a street in Lucca that is lined with Magnolia trees. They are beautiful, but they don’t last long. In the last couple of weeks I’ve watched the trees along the wall begin to sprout their leaves and right now the wisteria are blooming all around town. The wisteria (glicine in Italian) are spectacular as they tumble over walls and across trellises. It seemed as though the vines were bare one day and full of early blossoms the next. A week or so later they were spectacular in full bloom.

Less common here, but no less beautiful, are these white wisteria in Piazza San Giovanni.

My favorite stand of wisteria is in tiny Piazza Parigi. The trunks are old and thick and they twist their way through an old iron fence. The blooms spill over the top and fill the small piazza with a soft scent.

Watching the wisteria blooms unfold this spring has been a treat for me, even more so because last year I missed them as Italy was on strict lockdown throughout March and April, which meant no strolls through town to watch them bloom. That makes them even more special this year when I can freely wander through town to see, smell, and photograph them!

Tucked away in a small alley off Via Cenami.

Not all of the wisteria action takes place inside the walls. There are some beautiful villas, many in Liberty Style, just outside the walls and several are draped in blooms.

This Liberty Style villa, surrounded by wisteria, is just outside the walls north of the historic center.

Wisteria - a springtime gift from Italy.

The same wall of wisteria as in the top photo, but about 10 days later in full bloom.

Pasquetta - Easter Monday in Italy

The day after Easter is officially the Lunedì dell’Angelo (the Monday of the Angel) but I’ve never heard anyone here in Lucca refer to it by that name. Here it is known simply as Pasquetta (little Easter). Pasquetta is a national holiday and one that marks the beginning of the spring season. Traditionally, it is a day for Italians to venture into the countryside for a day of picnics and outdoor fun. But not this year. For the second year in a row, Easter celebrations are limited by COVID restrictions. Last week, all of Tuscany (along with much of the rest of Italy) was declared a red zone. For the last three days, over the Easter weekend, the whole country has been “in the red”. For now, it is not possible to leave one’s home city and we are supposed to stay at home except for necessary things like trips to the pharmacy or grocery store. That means no trips to the countryside for Pasquetta and no picnics either.

Traditional Easter Colomba (dove) cakes, in fancy tins by Dolce & Gabbana.

All but essential shops are closed. Luckily, chocolate shops are considered essential (one more reason to love Italy). This is a good thing - can you imagine an Easter without chocolate?

How cute are these? Chocolate chickens are much more common than bunnies here at Easter. These are from the artisanal shop Chocolat in Chiasso Barletti, Lucca.

Even the local woodwork shop has a window decorated for Easter

It is still permissible to go out for a walk, though the guidelines include a vague statement about staying “close to home”. The wall around Lucca remains open (unlike last Easter when it was off-limits) and it certainly qualifies as close to home for those of us who live within its embrace. But don’t forget to carry your self-certification documents!

Fortunately, the rules were relaxed a bit for the 3 days over the Easter holiday (the weekend of Easter plus today’s Pasquetta holiday). For these 3 days, we have been allowed two persons to come into our homes for a visit or meal. I took full advantage of this, cooking an Easter brunch for 2 friends. A pretty table, good food, great company, a little Prosecco, and lots of laughter made for a wonderful Easter morning. Today I will celebrate Pasquetta with a long walk along the wall, enjoying the new green leaves on the trees, the wildflowers, and the views of distant hills.

Despite everything that has occurred over the past difficult year, life goes on. Shops are decorated for Easter, people wish each other “Buona Pasqua” in the streets, we are enjoying some beautiful spring weather, the gelato shops have opened for the season (gelato is the perfect take out food), the wisteria are blooming, and the church bells ring. There is reason for optimism and everyone is looking towards next year when, hopefully, I will be able to host a big group for an Easter luncheon.

Buona Pasquetta !

Outdoor Sculpture in Florence

The city of Florence is a gift, one I can receive time after time and find just as thrilling as I did on my first visit more than 20 years ago. There is so much to see - cathedrals, small churches, bridges, museums, architecture, hills, and beautiful Tuscan skies. Usually all of these things are enjoyed while simultaneously dealing with (and grumbling about) large groups of tourists. However, this past year has been a bit different (in so many ways) and with fewer people about, there is little competition for close-up views of Florence’s wonderful art and architecture. Even better if, like me, sculpture is one of your favorite art forms. On my last visit I was happy to just wander, never even entering a museum. Instead, I spent my time immersed in the beauty of the many outdoor sculptures and statues in Florence.
It’s impossible to see all of Florence’s sculptural wonders in one visit, but described below is a walk that I love which includes some of my Florentine favorites. And although right now travel is impossible for many of us - I can’t even go to Florence from my home an hour away in Lucca due to our most recent COVID restrictions - I hope this walk is a path we might all enjoy on a future trip to this special city.

The walk begins north of the Duomo in Piazza SS Annunziata (named for the church at the north end). When in Florence I always try to make time for this church. While the rest of my walk across Florence is outdoors, inside this church is one of the loveliest tomb monuments I’ve ever seen. How graceful, and sad, is this woman who keeps eternal watch over the tomb of a loved one? A stop here is a great way to begin a sculpture walk.

A tomb monument inside the church of SS Annunziata, Florence

In the piazza in front of the church are two fountains featuring sculptures of mythical creatures (by the artist Pietro Tacca) as well as a massive bronze statue of Ferdinand I on horseback (by Giambologna). If you look closely, you’ll also see a series of round della Robbia pieces above the arches of the Ospedale degli Innocenti (you can see one above and to the right of the fountain in the photo below).

Next stop - the Duomo, where the sculptures include both large statues and countless small, detailed sculptures adorning the facade and doorways.

On my last visit I did not approach them with an eye toward the historical significance of each piece - who is that saint? that pope? that angel? (for that it is better to visit the Duomo museum) but rather just with an appreciation for the craftsmanship and beauty of the work.

The intricacy of the carvings, the stunning colors, the gracefulness of the faces, they way they are placed on the colorful facade - what a display of artistry.

A much smaller, but equally beautiful sculpture. Many of these small marble figures surround the doorways and windows of the cathedral.

After spending time at the Duomo, the walk continues to the Piazza della Signoria and the Loggia dei Lanzi, full of famous statues including a scaled-down reproduction of Michelangelo’s David and the fascinating but brutal Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna.

Walking further towards the river Arno, at the far end of the piazza, is the Fountain of Neptune. Statues are wonderful, but a statue that is also part of a large fountain is fantastic (especially is you happen to visit on a warm day).

The Fountain of Neptune, Florence

Wandering past the Palazzo Vecchio and along the Uffizi courtyard are a series of statues of famous artists, scientists, and literary giants. From left to right below: Cellini, DaVinci, and Donatello.

Walking across the Ponte Vecchio, there is a bust of Cellini. He was a master goldsmith, as well as an artist and writer. He may have been a bit of a troublemaker, but he’s a home town boy and it is fitting to honor him on the bridge where today so much of the Florentine gold is sold.

The inscription reads: Benvenuto Cellini Maestro Gli Orafi di Firenze

Across the Ponte Vecchio, the walk comes to an end. For me, the perfect ending to a wander through Florence’s outdoor sculptures is a lunch “oltrarno” at the restaurant 4 Leone. After all, fabulous food is another Italian art form!

A Winter Without Carnevale

It should be starting this week - the annual late winter celebration of Carnevale. Unfortunately, the on-going COVID crisis has forced cancellation or delay of the festivities, including the two best known events here in Italy - Venice (cancelled) and Viareggio (postponed until fall).

Venice 2020

In the past few years, I’ve experienced both the craziness and political / social mischief of the Viareggio celebration (photos below) and the drama and elegance of the festivities in Venice.

Last year I enjoyed Venice during the opening weekend of Carnevale, just before the first wave of virus arrived in Italy and shut it all down. What an air of excitement! Such a spectacular weekend - from the opening night time water parade with its aerial performers and light shows (below), to the next morning’s parade of boats on the Grand Canal, to all the costumed and masked people in the Piazza San Marco. And - though it seems strange this year - we didn’t worry at all about crowd size and we still found the idea of masks charming (those masks being a huge step up from this year’s standard Covid ones). Carnevale is Venice’s big annual event and this year, without the spectacles, the glamour, the balls and visitors, will have a huge impact - economic, cultural, and psychological.

Last February, I think we all expected that by 2021 things would have returned to normal and we would once again be celebrating Carnevale in the usual way. But - here we are a year later, approaching the season of Lent without Carnevale celebrations to usher it in.

This week I found many of the traditional Carnevale sweets in the pastry shop windows, but that seemed sad knowing that all the events were canceled. Still - I felt it my civic duty to purchase some (any excuse for a sweet, right?)

As I returned home with my Carnevale mask cookies on a cold, rainy, late January day, I soon found myself looking at photos of past Carnevale events. The photos reminded me of the exuberance of Carnevale and all of a sudden the day didn’t seem so dreary. I hope these photos might brighten your winter day too.

And let’s all hope that, by next year, Carnevale will return. I imagine the floats and costumes will seem even more grand after a year’s absence.

San Quirico d'Orcia

The small villages in the Val d’Orcia have much in common.  They sit on hilltops and look out over rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards, and cypress trees. They are often fortified by city walls, the legacy of ancient conflicts. The street plans are mostly Medieval, often with a single main street and a large main piazza ringed with stone and brick buildings. They are filled with churches large and small.

Classic Val d’Orcia scenes, in the village of San Quirico

And the history!  From Etruscan tombs to Roman roads, from Medieval streetscapes to World War II bombs, the history of these villages is rich and fascinating.  That they have so much in common, and yet each village has its own unique character, makes a trip through this area especially wonderful. Think of Monticchiello with its Teatro Povero and stone houses, Montalcino with its famed Brunello wine and steep streets, Bagno Vignoni with its thermal pools, and Pienza - the perfect Renaissance city - with its pretty houses and flowers filled window boxes.

 San Quirico d’Orcia is yet another of the villages found in the Val d’Orcia. Named after a martyred child saint, it lies between Montalcino and Pienza, situated along the ancient Via Francigena, the pilgrim’s route between Canterbury and Rome.  Today, modern pilgrims and adventurous walkers still pass through San Quirico as they follow the ancient path. Other tourists arrive more conventionally by car and stay to enjoy the many things that make this a most pleasant spot.

The ancient wall around San Quirico

Most of the wall surrounding the city remains, with 2 gates providing entrance to the historic center of town and several of the former watchtowers still standing (though now repurposed, some into tall and narrow homes).  The Porta Cappuccini is the old and most historic gate – a lovely way to enter the town.

 The best way to explore San Quirico is to simply wander.  A stroll along the main street, Via Dante Alighieri, takes you both along the route of the Via Francigena and past most of the main sights in town. At one end, just inside the city walls, is the Collegiata Church (12th century) with its interesting shape, three very different entrances, and beautiful bell tower.  

The Collegiata Church (also known as the church of Santi Quirico e Giulitta)

Further down the street is the church of San Francesco, with its famous terracotta della Robbia madonna (moved here from the Chapel of the Vitaleta) and its combination bell and clock tower. In front of the church is the Piazza della Liberta`. This lively square is the center of town and a hub of activity.  It’s a great place to stop for a coffee or a glass of wine and to soak in the atmosphere. 

Piazza della Liberta` and the Church of San Francesco

In this square is also the entry to one of San Quirico’s special spaces – the Horti Leonini, a 16th century garden.  The centerpiece is a statue of Cosimo III di Medici. All around him is classic Italian garden design. 

Stepping back into the Piazza della Liberta`, and continuing down Via Dante Aligheri, are two of my favorite spots.  One, is a hidden courtyard which contains an old well and the pilgrim’s refuge the Ospedale della Scala.  The other, right on the street, is the small church of Santa Maria Assunta, which is over 1000 years old (but no interior photos allowed!)

The old well in front of the Ospedale della Scala

 It’s also fun to wander the small side streets.  On my most recent visit, during the height of the olive harvest, I found an active but very old frantoio (olive press) which was still using old stones to grind the olives.  The friendly staff invited me inside to watch the process.  The smell of the fresh olive oil was delicious!

And on a side street just along the church of San Francesco is the wonderful Trattoria al Vecchio Forno, built on the site of the old town bakery (forno).  I’ve eaten here on previous visits and it’s a place that never fails to please.  My lunch, a honey drizzled sformatino and a pappa al pomodoro, eaten outside in the garden on a warm fall day, was delicious.

 Heading back to Pienza, the Chapel of the Madonna of Vitaleta is visible from the road.  It is well worth the detour to stop and visit this tiny chapel, which is one of the most photographed spots in Tuscany.   The chapel itself is not usually open, but the surrounding vistas are spectacular.  

 San Quirico was the last stop on my trip through the Val d’Orcia.  There are so many other places left to explore, among them the famous wine towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano (which is just outside the Val d’Orcia) and also the gardens at La Foce.  

I guess I’d better start planning a return trip!