Brenta Canal Part One: The Journey

A vintage drawing of a the Villa di Oriaggo along the Brenta Canal

Beginning in the 15th century, the merchants and Noblemen of the Venetian Republic (long before Italy as a unified country came into being) began to acquire property on the mainland west of the Venetian Lagoon. 

The land they developed was used for farming and later for building summer homes and grand villas.  Having a villa along the “Brenta Riviera” was quite fashionable for well-to-do Venetians.   

 The Brenta Canal, a stretch of the Brenta River between Padua and Venice, was the waterway used to move people and goods from the lowlands of Venice up river to Padua.  The canal was modified with a series of locks, some built to a design first developed by Leonardo Da Vinci, to allow boats to make the uphill trip.  

Imagine rowing across the Venetian Lagoon in one of these boats and then being pulled up the Brenta Canal by horses! Sadly, there are no surviving examples of a Burchiello as all were destroyed when Napoleon came to power in Venice.

 Two types of boats travelled the canal.  The first, a burchio, carried goods.  The second, a  burchiello was an ornate boat designed to ferry Noblemen in grand style from Venice to their summer homes on the mainland along the Brenta canal.  The boats were rowed across the lagoon and then pulled by horses up river, passing through a series of locks and under several moveable bridges.

 The tradition of spending summers along the Brenta Canal ended in 1797 when Napoleon arrived and the Venetian Republic fell. Sadly, all of the Burchiello boats were destroyed. We have only drawings but no actual boats to see. Today, a different kind of burchiello travels the canal between Padua and Venice.   Modern motorized boats carry tourists on day-long trips to experience the canal and tour several of the Villas along the route.

The boat for our excursion, named the Burchiellino, tied up at the Villa Foscari

The modern route still uses the old locks to climb up (or down) the 10 meter change in water level along the canal. The boats pass under several sliding bridges and swing bridges – some still operated by hand.

 Along the route are scenes of life along the Brenta canal.

The trip passes by a series of the villas along the way.  Some are sadly in need of repair, some have been adapted for use as restaurants or hotels, and some remain as beautiful and well tended private residences.  A few (lucky for us!) are open to the public. (photos below all taken from the boat on a cloudy day)

On the day-long cruise, with the company Il Burchiello, we were able to visit 3 historic villas – Villa Pisani, Villa Widmann, and the Palladian masterpiece of Villa Foscari.  More about the villas in an upcoming post.  

 Contact info: Il Burchiello www.itburchiello.it. Cost for the full day journey €129 for adults, half day €69

Out and About in Padova

Padova (Padua) is a wonderful, vibrant university town located just 30 minutes by train from Venezia (Venice) and about 4 1/2 hours from my home in Lucca.  It’s a wonderful place, full of important churches, art, museums, and historic buildings. It is one of my favorite cities to visit in Italy.    

The architecture of Padova has a Byzantine influence.

Fresco panel, Scrovegni Chapel, Padovs

One of the city’s major attractions, the stunning Scrovegni Chapel, is filled with Giotto frescoes. They are exquisite and beautifully preserved. 

The Basilica of Saint Anthony draws worshippers along with those who appreciate art, architecture, history, and Italian culture.  They are two of Padova’s major attractions, essential to see on a first visit to the city.

Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, Padova

One of the major advantages of living in Lucca is the ability to visit places like Padova easily and often, sometimes just using it as a base for exploring nearby places. 

That was the case on my most recent visit, one in which I didn’t (gasp!) visit either the Scrovegni Chapel or the Basilica of Saint Anthony.  

Instead, my travel companion and I spent time leisurely walking through town. We popped into lesser-known churches.  We visited the market (and drooled over the food choices).  We spent time in two of the city’s wonderful parks. 

Prato della Valle park, Padova

We made a spontaneous stop at a fantastic Monet exhibit in one of the city’s museums.   The closest we got to Saint Anthony’s Basilica was sitting in a nearby cafe where we sipped an Aperol Spritz while gazing at the beautiful and unique domes of the church. 

Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua

The Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza

Along with a small group of friends, I boarded a boat for a day-long Brenta Canal cruise between Padova and Venezia and a chance to visit 3 historic villas along the way.  More detail about that in some future coming posts.

One afternoon, we hopped a train to nearby Vicenza to get a flavor for the city and see a 500+ year old theater designed by Palladio. 

Vicenza

For anyone who has not yet been to Padova, a 4 day stay would allow for a visit to the Scrovegni Chapel (advance tickets required) and the Basilica of Saint Anthony, a one day Brenta Canal cruise, and a couple of days to wander the city visiting some of the other historic places, churches, the market, the Prate della Valle park and leisurely strolling around this beautiful and vibrant city.

And don’t forget to try the Venetian style cicchetti ! It makes a wonderful dinner.

Cicchetti at Bacaro Frescoli in Padova

A Busy Week in Lucca

Lucca has been a whirlwind of activity this week - lots of wonderful events happening all over town. Also lots visitors as Italians “make a bridge” to create an extra long weekend between the Liberation Day national holiday on Thursday April 25th and the end of the weekend on Sunday the 28th.

The weather has remained chilly - well below normal and rainy. But that has not hampered the fun. I’ve kept busy with markets, music, a saint’s day festival, the Liberation Day ceremonies, and dance performances. All in one week! With all that going on, I decided that an extra post was needed to share some photos from this busy week, so I am sneaking this one in on a Saturday.

The 25th was the national holiday that kicked off the long weekend. Liberation Day celebrates the end of Nazi occupation of Italy at the conclusion of WWII. The ceremony begins in the courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale with speeches, brass bands, and military groups. An honor guard lays a wreath at Lucca’s memorial for locals lost in war. The day is one of remembrance but also one that brings into focus the tragedy of all wars and the human toll that they take. I find that the horrors of war feel so much closer here, and throughout Europe, than in the US. These monuments to all those lost are incredibly moving.

Two major cultural events are taking place this week, Lucca Classica and Lucca Dance Meeting. Both bring elegant artistry to the city.

Concerts and dance exhibitions take place in settings throughout town, both indoors and in the piazzas.

An added bonus is the reopening of Caffè di Simo. Closed for the last 12 years, it once played host to Lucca’s artistic community. Puccini played piano here at the end of the 19th century (the name was Caffè Casali at that time). Imagine the lively discussions that took place as poets, musicians, and writers gathered here. Imagine Puccini at the keyboard!

The caffè has recently reopened, for a limited time, as a venue for small performances linked to celebrations to mark 100 years since Puccini’s death in November of 1924. Two performances this week gave me the chance to soak in the atmosphere of the historic caffè, largely unchanged since Puccini’s time. In the first, I listened to a performance of Puccini music and Neapolitan songs. I was surprised to learn that Puccini wrote some ninne nanne (lullabies)! The second was in conjunction with the Dance Meeting and featured a narration of episodes from Puccini’s life (a colorful one!) along with arias sung by two very talented women (a soprano and a mezzo soprano) with accompanying interpretive dance. The voices were soaring, the dance perfectly in tune with the music, and the small venue full of history. Wow!

Lucca’s favorite saint - Santa Zita - is celebrated each year with her very own festival and lots and lots of flowers. The Basilica of San Frediano is the place to go to view the saint’s preserved body. During the festival it is moved front and center in the middle of the church, surrounded by candles and flowers.

This temporary floral island in placed in front of the Basilica of San Frediano in remembrance of Santa Zita, who died April 27, 1278.

Put a euro in the basket, pass by and touch her glass sarcophagus, light a candle and you are guaranteed another year in Lucca (OK, I made that last part up but it has worked for me thus far!)

Santa Zita is honored in the Basilica of San Frediano on her feast day.

Because one of Santa Zita’s miracles involved flowers, the celebration includes a floral island created in front of the church and a flower market that fills the nearby Piazza Anfiteatro.

Movie making in progress! (Photo courtesy of a local friend)

In addition to all of these events, there is also a movie shoot going on throughout town, with sightings of Hollywood stars and interesting glimpses into the mechanics of movie making (and a bit of traffic chaos and closed streets). Do you recognize the leading man captured in this photo?

Busy week indeed!

Springtime In the Botanic Garden of Padova

The Orto Botanico (Botanic Garden) of Padova (Padua in English) dates back to the year 1545.  It was created on land owned by Benedictine monks, with the blessing of the Venetian Republic. The purpose for its creation was the study of medicinal herbs  - a pretty important study in times of plague and pestilence, long before the advent of antibiotics and vaccines.  The early botanists sought to identify those plants which promoted health and cured disease (as well as the dangerous ones that could harm). 

 The Orto Botanico continues to be a place of study, international collaboration, and research.  In 1997 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its contribution to, in the words of UNESCO  “the sciences of botany, medicine, chemistry and pharmacy”.

In addition to being an important scientific site, it is also a place of great beauty.  The enclosed garden, overlooked by the domes of churches on both sides, sits just beyond the Basilica of St. Anthony.  Glimpses of church domes through the garden’s trees add to the enchantment of the setting.

The surrounding brick walls, topped with stone balustrades, enclose meandering paths edged with wild flowers, gated formal gardens, a small stream, a variety of trees, and several pretty fountains. 

Small buildings showcase carnivorous plants and one very ancient tree.  A much larger greenhouse is the center for the study of biodiversity (currently closed to visitors). 

 On the day I visited (in early April) the garden was blooming with spring flowers.  Wisteria, both purple and white varieties, clung to the brick walls.  The Irises were just beginning to bloom and the scent of lilacs was in the air. 

 The Orto Botanico is an oasis of color and fragrance in the middle of Padova. What a great way to spend a spring afternoon!

The Church of San Salvatore in Lucca

A painted door in Piazza del Salvatore, Lucca

A couple of days in Lucca last week were rain free – perfect for catching up on errands.   My tasks included a stop at the lavandaria (cleaners), a quick visit to a local shop to buy a pretty pot for the chives I’ll grow on a sunny windowsill, a meet up with a friend for a coffee (there may have been a pastry involved), and a trip to the Ortofrutta to stock up on vegetables. 

 The best part of running errands here is that it never feels like a chore.  No drudgery involved.  How could there be when the errands are done on foot and all involve a walk through historic Medieval streets?  There are ancient stone buildings, centuries old decorative brick work around windows, balconies full of flowers, and beautiful old wooden doors along every route.  Add to that the sound of spoken Italian providing a soundtrack to daily life here and chores are fun.

On my errands I stopped into one of Lucca’s small and lesser known (at least to visitors; it’s a favorite of locals) churches. It was empty, silent, and unguarded. I was the only person inside, free to admire the architecture, artwork, and treasures within. To leave such a historic place, filled with valuable artifacts, so accessible would be unheard of in the US.  Here in Lucca it is not unusual at all.  

The Church of San Salvatore, also known as the Church of the Misericordia, Lucca

The church, officially the Church of San Salvatore in Mustolio, is more commonly known as the Church of the Misericordia because it is located right next to what was for many years the office of the Misericordia Ambulance Service.   

A few months ago the ambulance service moved outside of central Lucca, leaving a spot for some benches and flower pots in the space where the ambulances used to sit. The stone wall of the church is now easy to see and the historic carved lintel above the side door more visible.

This new sitting area, once filled with parked ambulances, is now a pretty place to sit facing the piazza along the side of the church.

 A church has stood here for over 1000 years**, with major renovations and modifications over time.  Some of the most important elements of the current church are the exterior lintels, one over the front right door (below, right) and one over the side door (below, left), that date from the 12th century.  Each lintel tells a story from the life of Saint Nicholas.  They are beautifully carved, in wonderful shape, and are important examples of decorative elements from that time period. 

The interior of the church has a main altar that contains a 14th century wooden crucifix.   Two smaller altars are placed along the sides of the small church. One, an ornate sculpted piece, frames a Christ with bound wrists. The other is a depiction of Our Lady of Fatima surrounded by children.

There are several paintings inside the church, including an Ascension from the year 1561 by the local artist Vezzano and another that depicts local favorite Santa Zita in the company of several saints. 

I always find the little details in a church fascinating. A memorial marker, a lantern, a holy water font, a small shrine, a simple stature, a bit of faded fresco. This are the things that capture my attention and there are plenty to see in the Church of San Salvatore.

The quiet church provides an oasis of calm.  As an added bonus, it sits within the Piazza del Salvatore with Nottolini’s famous fountain topped by the Naiade statue. What a beautiful place to stop in the midst of running errands!

** A huge thanks to The Wanderer’s Guide to Lucca by Brian Lindquist for the history of San Salvatore church.  His book, and the accompanying Wanderer’s Map, remain the most valuable English language source for information on the historic churches and buildings in Lucca.  It’s a must have for anyone living here or interested in Lucca’s history.

Can you spot Santa Zita in this painting from the year 1638 by Mannucci?