A Spring Weekend in Lucca

It seems as if we waited a long time for spring to arrive this year.  Cold and rainy weather lasted well into May.  But finally, on the last weekend in May, spring finally showed up.  And it is glorious!  

The temperatures are mild, the breezes gentle, and the skies are filled with cotton ball clouds with only the smallest hint of rain. The trees are green, the scent of Jasmine fills the air, and pretty flower boxes fill balconies. Is there a better place to spend spring than in Tuscany? 

 The final days of May also brought two very enjoyable festivals to Lucca. 

The first is the Lucca Medievale Festival.   The event took place on the mura storiche (historic walls) where a medieval encampment sprang up along one of the large green bulwarks that jut out from the walls.  

Throughout the camp craftsmen and women, all in costume, demonstrated medieval crafts.  There were woodturners, blacksmiths, and chainmail makers.

Weavers and clothmakers worked alongside pottery artisans and clog makers. Rough beeswax candles were on display as were some ancient (and quite scary) medical instruments.  A stone carver worked with small tools to create delicate designs.

Musicians played antique instruments; there was no shortage of medieval weapons. Throughout the weekend-long festival were exhibitions of historic dances, arts, crossbow competitions, and music. Lucca is in so many ways still a medieval town and the festival really brings that era to life. It’s an annual event - now is the time to make plans to visit Lucca next spring!

 The second event to enliven the city in late May was the French Market.  It is always exciting when this market comes to town. It is only fitting that the market fills Piazza Napoleone, Lucca’s largest piazza.  The large open piazza was created during the time when Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, was the Principessa of Lucca.  Her impact on Lucca is felt to this day. I think she would approve of hosting a French market in front of her palace!

 The market featured typical French products – soaps, perfumes, and table linens as well as French foods.   French breads were baked on site. French pastries and French cheeses filled the booths.  And the quiches! Quiche Lorraine, goat cheese and tomato, veggie and even salmon quiches warm from the oven were ready to take home for a tasty French themed lunch. 

Whenever the French market comes to Lucca, I line up to buy some bastoncini.  These breads – much thicker than a breadstick but thinner than a small baguette – are a bit of an addiction for me.  Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, they are studded with olives, walnuts, pancetta, or cheese.   Paired with a market quiche and a salad they transport me right back to Provence. 

 The spring days in Lucca are meant to be enjoyed - a wonderful pause between the cold, rainy season and the advent of hot weather and busy summer activities. Welcome spring!

Easter in Lucca, 2024

Celebrating the Easter (Pasqua in Italian) holidays in Lucca always feels special to me. Easter marks the beginning of spring and Lucca in spring is filled with mild weather and fun events.  There is always a lot to look forward to and Easter is the kick-off to some of the best months to be in Italy. 

Not only that, but Easter here, along with Pasquetta the day after Easter and also a holiday, is so filled with tradition and, well, just Italian-ness, that it always gives me a renewed sense of appreciation that I get to live here. 

Plus, the holiday a great excuse to get together with friends for Easter weekend dinners, Easter morning brunch, and a long, slow dinner on Easter Sunday evening.  Easter is meant to be spent with friends!   And coming after Lent, it’s meant to involve good food and drink. Which is one reason why there is so much chocolate in shop windows here.

This street-side shrine is one of the first stops on the Via Crucis.

Easter in Italy is marked by ancient religious traditions.   And whether one is religious or not, the Easter rituals carry historic significance and always leave me a bit in awe. Each year, on Good Friday (Venerdì Santo in Italian), many cities have processions which recreate the Via Crucis, Stations of the Cross.

In Lucca this solemn procession is enacted by members of the Confraternity of the Misericordia, a volunteer civic organization.  Dressed in hooded black robes, with many participants barefoot, they walk through the historic center carrying a heavy crucifix.  The procession stops at small shrines and churches for prayers and chanting. The procession is followed by a group of local worshippers.  As they move through Lucca’s medieval streets, it is easy to imagine similar processions taking place hundreds of years ago.  Time seems to stop and only the cameras and cell phones snapping pictures give a sense of modernity. (Video on the Two Parts Italy Facebook page)

Not all Easter traditions are religious or ancient.  Part of the holiday for me involves baking Easter bread.  This is a simple sweet bread decorated with eggs, a recipe I learned from an Italian friend of my parents many years ago. It’s perfect for a simple breakfast or as an Easter gift.

I am a bit oven-challenged here, as my apartment only has a small countertop electric oven, but I managed to turn out two small loaves this year. 

Another important tradition for me is hosting an Easter meal - and brunch is my favorite meal to prepare and share with friends.  The menu for this year’s brunch was anything but traditional.  After recently discovering Beehive Bagels in Rome, and learning that they would overnight fresh New York style bagels to me in Lucca, my menu choice was set.  Bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon with all the needed trimmings – red onion, capers, thinly sliced cucumbers, and some fresh chives which I happen to have growing on my windowsill, and deviled eggs.   Add to that the fruit, Prosecco, and Blood Orange juice brought by my guests and we had all the ingredients for a nice Easter morning meal.  And since it is fun to try something new for Easter, this year I made a ricotta almond torte flavored with Limoncello – a little something Italian to add to my very American style Easter brunch.

Today, the day after Easter, is still a holiday here in Italy.  Pasquetta is a day for relaxed fun.  For me that will mean coffee with a friend, a walk on the walls (probably with an umbrella), and watching spring start to bloom around Lucca.

I hope your Easter holiday was filled with friends, laughter, good food, and anticipation of spring.

Buona Pasquetta!

A Quiet Monday Morning in Lucca

A crowded Piazza Anfiteatro during the Santa Zita celebration.

Lucca’s tourist season begins in earnest as soon as April arrives.  Between a host of holidays, a major music festival, and the arrival of gorgeous spring weather, the last few weekends have seen this small city bursting with activity and people.  

 This year it also seems as if the big tour groups, many of them coming from cruise ships docked in Livorno, have arrived early and in bigger numbers than ever.  The tour groups come from all over.  I’ve heard guides speaking in Italian, German, English, and French.  I am happy to see visitors introduced to Lucca, but …. and this is a big but … the small streets and alleyways of Lucca were not made for so many large groups. 

The smaller groups accompanied by private local groups move through town with ease (and are an ideal way to see Lucca), but the really big groups tend to obstruct traffic, clog the streets, and make moving through town quite difficult for locals. 

How I wish the large groups would be advised to keep to one side of the street to allow room for people to pass!  If I had a euro for every time I say “permesso” as I try to get through a large group, well, my rent would be paid for the next 3 months.   Do I sound grumpy?  Well, yes, I guess I am a bit.  After a quiet winter and early spring, the sudden arrival of crowds feels a bit overwhelming.

 The good news is that Monday mornings bring a bit of relief.  Last Monday I was out early to run some errands - a trip to the lavanderia (laundry) to pick up my linens, to the Ortofrutta (fruit and vegetable market) for some vegetables, and to the little shop that sells all kinds of electric lights and appliances to get a replacement light bulb for my kitchen.  I avoided doing these errands over the weekend, but a Monday morning seemed like the right time.  The quiet streets were just perfect for being out and about. 

Early on a Monday morning is the perfect time to go to the Ortofrutta. Look at those gorgeous fruits and veggies!

 Even the main piazzas were nearly empty and the streets around my apartment were quiet too. I encountered just a few locals going about their daily tasks. Shopkeepers were opening up and delivery trucks were bringing supplies to shops and restaurants. Birds sang and their songs were not lost in the hubbub of a busy weekend.

 Mild temperatures, a soft breeze, and uncrowded streets made for a perfect morning of wandering through town and noticing all the wonderful things about spring in Lucca.  Green trees, pretty flowers in pots and on balconies, the old brick of medieval buildings, pretty doors and windows, hidden corners, and the sounds of the city waking up and coming to life. 

Even the street leading to the Torre Guinigi was nearly empty on this Monday morning.

 Around town the warm weather means that windows are open and the sounds of daily life pour out.  A baby crying.  Someone singing.  A radio on.  The sound of a brass horn coming from the music school near my apartment.  The musical sound of Italian chatter drifting out to the street.  These are some of the things I love most about life in Italy.

 The summer crowds, along with the heat and humidity of an Italian summer will soon be here. Those are some of the reasons I will soon head to New Mexico for much of the summer.  There I also have the bonus of a good long visit with my family – including my eldest grandson who will graduate from high school next week (does that ever make me feel old!).   But come August I will be glad to get back to Lucca, so glad that even the crowds won’t make me grumpy.

A few more photos of Lucca on a quiet Monday morning -

Springtime Music in Lucca

Music is an integral part of life in Lucca.   The musical heritage here is rich and spans centuries.  Buskers frequently entertain passersby with everything from classic Italian songs on an accordion to street-side opera or folk music under an ancient loggia.  

Local musicians perform at cafes and bars, up on the walls, and in the piazzas.  It’s hard to beat a spring evening spent sipping a spritz while listening to music in a medieval square.

 Crowds flock to Lucca each summer for Lucca Summer Fest – a contemporary music festival with a wide variety of Italian and international performers. 

This year Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Kiss, Pat Methany, and Lil Nas X are among the scheduled acts (quite a diverse group!).  Several years back, the Rolling Stones headlined, performing on the green space just outside Lucca’s ancient walls.  That was fun!

But my favorite musical events in Lucca involve classical composers, some of whom were born here. 

Generations of the Puccini family called Lucca home, including 4 generations of sacred music composers, all of whom served as Maestro di Cappella (choir master) at the Cathedral of San Martino. 

Puccini statue in Piazza Cittadella, Lucca. His childhood home is in the background.

The 5th generation saw the Puccini we all know best - Giacomo, born in Lucca in 1858 – shift the family musical focus to opera.

His family home is now a museum. A large bronze statue of “il Maestro”, cigarette in hand and looking rather rakish, sits in Piazza Cittadella near the museum shop. 

Puccini is revered here, so much so that a selection of his arias are performed every evening in the church of San Giovanni. 

Statue of Luigi Boccherini in Lucca

Puccini was not the only famous composer to come from Lucca.  Luigi Boccherini was born here in 1743.  He was a cellist and an early composer of music for string quartets. 

Today, the Boccherini Institute is a place where young musicians train and perform.  Just a few steps from my apartment, the sounds of musical practice coming from the building grace my morning walk most days. 

Perhaps not as well known outside of Italy as Puccini, his cello concertos are incredibly beautiful.  When I want to relax, Boccherini is on my playlist.

To celebrate its classical musical heritage, each spring the city hosts the Lucca Classica Music Festival. 

During the event, musical performances are held throughout the historic center of town – in gardens, underneath the ancient walls, in churches, theaters, and piazzas. 

Performers come from around the world and include choruses, string quartets, orchestras, youth groups, guitarists and even brass bands!

The works of Puccini and Boccherini are well represented during the festival, along with other opera and classical music composers, jazz works, world music, and some distinctly modern pieces. 

 It’s impossible to attend all the performances and difficult to choose among them.  During this year’s festival, when I found a performance that promised Latin music in the spectacular setting of the Garden of Palazzo Pfanner, I knew I had to attend. 

The garden at Palazzo Pfanner - a wonderful, casual setting for a classical music performance during the Lucca Classical Music Festival..

The music was by Quartetto Lunae, a string quartet playing in magical harmony.  They played pieces from Cuba, Mexico, and South America, everything from a Piazzolla tango to Besame Mucho and La Bamba.  Listening to the beautiful notes, surrounded by quiet birdsong and garden roses, was incredibly moving.

Quartetto Lunae

 A fun counterpoint was the performance by the Filarmonica Giacomo Puccini di Nozzano.  This large brass band assembled in Palazzo Napoleone, Lucca’s largest piazza.  From there they marched across town, stopping in a series of piazzas to play for the gathered crowds.  Add in some baton twirlers and it was quite a lively event!

 This year’s Lucca Classica ended on May 1st.   I can hardly wait to see what next year’s festival brings!

This concert goer found the perfect seat - watching the concert from inside the limonaia at Palazzo Pfanner!

April Holidays in Lucca

An Easter window display

In 2023, the month of April has more Italian national holidays than any other month this year. 

That’s in part because the two Easter holidays fall in April – Easter (Pasqua) on April 9th and Easter Monday (Pasquetta) on the 10th - both national holidays. 

 And then, on April 25th, Liberation Day marks the end of World War II in Italy. The role of both the Allied soldiers (including the American Buffalo Soldiers who liberated Lucca) and the Italian Partigiani (the Partisans who fought against the Nazi forces and the Fascist government) is remembered with brass bands, speeches, and the laying of a wreath at the war memorial. (photos below courtesy of A. Cummins)

Here in Lucca those 3 big holidays are not the end of the April celebrations as Lucca adds two additional local events. The first is another Liberation Day, always the Sunday after Easter. It marks the liberation of Lucca from the control of Pisa back in the year 1369.   It’s always a favorite event full of medieval costumes, drums, flags, and pageantry.  It may not be a national holiday, but it’s a big deal here in Lucca.

 The second holiday is the Feast of Santa Zita, one of Lucca’s patron saints.  Santa Zita, whose remains rest in a glass coffin in the church of San Frediano, is known for her great piety and several miracles.  In the best-known miracle she was confronted when taking some leftover food from the house in which she was a servant and giving it to the poor and hungry of Lucca.  The food was smuggled out in her apron.  When the head of the household demanded to see what was in her apron, she opened it and out tumbled not food but flowers.  A miracle!  To this day Santa Zita is celebrated with flowers each April 27th.   (For a more detailed description of Santa Zita and the miracle of the flowers, follow this link to a previous blog post https://www.twopartsitaly.com/blog/2019/4/17/the-miracle-of-the-flowers).

Each April 27th there is a special mass in San Frediano, the church where she worshipped, where her coffin is surrounded by flowers, candles, and robed guards.  The scent of the flowers fill the church.  Pass by, drop a coin in the basket, touch the casket (that must be good luck, right?) and collect a prayer card.  It is a ritual unique to Lucca. Outside of the church, a beautiful island of flowers is created for the week of her celebration. This makes Piazza San Frediano the perfect place to sit for a morning coffee while enjoying the view and the mild April weather.

 Also in honor of Santa Zita, in the nearby Piazza Anfiteatro, a colorful flower and plant market fills the square.  Locals come to buy plants for the garden – roses, azaleas, hydrangeas, annual flowers, herbs, citrus trees, tiny cactus plants, and bulbs.  The displays are a kaleidoscope of color. 

 My favorite displays are the small vignettes created – a pretty pot of flowers on an old chair, lanterns and baskets surrounded by flowers, antique demijohns in a garden setting.  The Santa Zita flower displays are a highlight of spring and one more reason to plan an April visit to Lucca.