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.

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!)

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.

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!