Bright Shiny Objects in a Medieval Town

Lucca never fails to surprise and delight, especially when it comes to outdoor art.

One day in May, I spotted a bright, shiny object in Piazza San Michele. Large, geometric, and standing on point, it shimmered under blue skies on a sunny day. Even better, I watched as a child first touched it and then gave it a push, which set it spinning. I am not sure who was more delighted – the child, his mother, or me. This is outdoor art of the best kind – accessible, touchable, relatable, and engaging for people of all ages.

Expansión Geométrica II 2021 Gustavo Vélez.

Over the next few days, a collection of these modern art pieces appeared throughout the historic center of Lucca. The works, entitled Geometria Senza Confine (Geometry Without Borders), are the creation of sculptor Gustavo Vélez. The exhibit is presented by Oblong Contemporary Galleries and curated by Eike Schmidt. In all, 14 pieces are on display around Lucca.

Fiore VI, a sculpture in white Carrara marble by Gustavo Vélez. Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca

Born in Colombia, Vélez has a studio in Pietrasanta, a city known for its sculptors and proximity to the Carrara marble quarries. Many of the pieces in the exhibit are marble, with works in bronze and stainless steel also included. Below: The same piece, Fiore VI, seems alive with movement when viewed from two different angles.

 According to the description by Oblong Contemporary Galleries, Vélez’s art “merges form, space, and movement” working “in dialog with historic spaces”. That makes Lucca the perfect background for this exhibit.

Hipercúbicos V in stainless steel, Gustavo Vélez 2024

The works are impressive in their scale, texture, and forms full of angles, curves, and waves. Seeing them surrounded by Medieval buildings adds a striking dimension. I am not sure if it was intentional or a happy accident brought about by Lucca’s historic setting, but several of the pieces have open spaces which offer glimpses of ancient buildings, stone arches, balconies. Others, the stainless steel pieces, have polished  surfaces which reflect the surrounding buildings, passersby, and even a certain blog writer with camera in hand. Each one invites inspection from all angles and in different lights throughout the day. I find myself taking detours as I walk through town just to walk by my favorites or to watch the one that spins delight people as they realize that they can interact with the sculpture.

 A few of the larger pieces are mounted on bases big enough to serve as benches. The pieces take on quite a different aspect when surrounded by people sitting below them – another way in which the art is immersed in the life of the city and accessible to all. 

The sculptures can be seen throughout Lucca from now through September 21.  They are a definite can’t miss for visitors to Lucca this summer.

Cono Geométrico 2023. Gustavo Vélez

The Garden of Palazzo Pfanner

Garden spaces in Lucca are treasures. They are especially important for those of us who live in small apartments without outdoor space of our own. Public gardens, and private ones open to visitors, provide the opportunity to sit quietly on a bench, to enjoy the peaceful beauty of trees and flowers, or to just breath in and out, finding respite from a busy day. 

Even better if the garden sits behind a historic palazzo, surrounds a fountain spraying water high into the air, and offers views over the graceful arches of the limonaia onto Lucca’s walls above. 

The limonaia in the garden of Palazzo Pfanner

The garden of Palazzo Pfanner in Lucca is just such a spot. A private garden, it is open to visitors for a small fee. It has long been one of my favorite outdoor spaces, a perfect spot to read a book, daydream, relax, and enjoy the blooms that change from spring to summer to fall. It is also a wonderful spot to listen to a small concert or enjoy a variety of events that take place at the palazzo.

Last spring and summer the garden was closed for major renovations. It has now reopened, refreshed and ready for visitors once again.

The newly planted grass is edged with irises and rose bushes. In mid-May, the scent of roses filled the garden.

The highlight of the garden for me arrives in late May and early June when the Hydrangeas bloom. Their colors, ranging from white to pink to pale purple, all set off by bright green foliage, are stunning. They are one of the garden’s best offerings and I was happy to find that after last year’s work they remained undamaged and in place, lining walkways and walls and filling the garden with color.

Many other of the garden’s best offerings remain in their original places too – the stands of bamboo which create shady alleys and hidden corners, the towering Magnolia tree, the large terra cotta pots of lemon trees, the classic statues, and the old walls that surround the garden.

One nice change is the addition of QR codes to the plant identification markers. Click on the code for a link to information about the roses, hydrangeas, camellias, and magnolias.

Only one change left me a little sad. The run down, unrestored small brick barn area that once stored beer barrels (back when the palazzo was a beer garden) has been restored. The old brick walls have been plastered over and the area now houses a new bathroom and storage. I miss the look and history of the old rustic barn (old, left, and new on the right below). But that’s a small hiccup in this otherwise spectacular garden.

What a joy it was to once again sit in this garden! (I can’t resist a few more hydrangea photos)

Verde Mura Is Where Spring Gardens Begin

Some recurring events serve to mark time, shepherding in a new year or a new season.  One such event in Lucca is the annual spring garden show, Verde Mura. 

Each April, Verde Mura takes place atop the walls that surround Lucca.  Just about anything one wants for a garden – whether garden means a small herb patch, several long rows of vegetables, a bed full of flowers, or a small stand of fruit trees – is available.  

With garden art and assorted crafts on display, there is little need to look elsewhere for spring garden inspiration.

This year - surprise - there were chickens and one very loud rooster !

Readers of this blog may recognize scenes from Verde Mura because I’ve written about it in past years.   But the event always seems to bring something new, not to mention it really does mark the beginning of spring for me, and so each year I go, camera in hand, learning about everything from heirloom beans to new varieties of tulips and daffodils.  

Sadly, I don’t have space for a garden in my tiny Lucca apartment. I can sometimes manage a few potted herbs, but that’s about all.  Despite that, I always come home with at least a gorgeous bunch of flowers, some treats from the food vendors (this year delicious black pepper and almond taralli), and the joy of having spent a few hours on a spring morning up on Lucca’s walls immersed in the colors and scents of the Verde Mura. 

Sunday Lunch in the Tuscan Countryside

One of the many delights of living in Tuscany is having a pranzo di domenica (Sunday lunch) with friends.  Even better when one of those friends is a local chef who knows just where to find a special place in an out of the way little village.  Rule # 1: always let the chef pick the restaurant! I was lucky enough to enjoy such a lunch recently, in the tiny village of Colognora di Compito, a lovely drive of about 6 miles, 15-20 minutes through the countryside from Lucca.

 At first glance the restaurant, La Cantina di Alfredo, seems to have been dropped down in the middle of nowhere.  It sits in tiny village along a pretty stone lined stream.  The unassuming building that houses the restaurant (in business since 1965) barely hints at the lively atmosphere and wonderful flavors to be found within. 

The first thing to reach my senses, before even opening the door, was the smell of the wood ovens.  A very nice welcome and a hint of the flavors to come.

Next, the sound of Italian chatter reached my ears.  Families with children of all ages filled the restaurant, happily interacting and sharing a meal.  Not one cell phone or other device in sight.  Sharing a Sunday lunch with friends, surrounded by a roomful of Italian families, is always a treat.  La Cantina di Alfredo provided the perfect Sunday atmosphere.

There are house specialty antipasti that get the meal off to an abundant start.  I have to admit (with only a pinch of guilt) that between the three of us we shared several of them, almost a meal on its own.  I blame my chef friend, who ordered for us – cancel that – I meant to say that I THANK my chef friend - because each bite was delicious.  First, we shared a board of cured meats including prosciutto, salami, other cured meats, and lardo (a buttery soft cubed pork fat) served with thin wedges of herb-flecked wood fired oven baked focaccia. 

Alongside that came a platter of bruschetta featuring fegato (a liver paté) on bread or squares of fried polenta, “meatballs” made of chopped mushrooms, and a pile of pasta fritta.  Pasta fritta is addictive – small bites of hot, fried, salty dough. How bad could that be?   Topped with a slice of the prosciutto it was delicious.

Having eaten a very big antipasto course, we skipped the primi selections (first courses) and headed straight to the main dishes. 

The house specialties include meats grilled in the wood oven, especially Florentine steaks and other cuts of beef. And the big piles of meats waiting to be cooked in one of their two wood fired ovens looked amazing. 

 In addition to beef, other dishes are prepared on the grill as well, including as fish, pork, and chicken.  And a second, even hotter, wood fired oven is reserved for pizza. Both of my companions ordered the Baccalà alla Brace (alla brace means on the grill) while I opted for the Rosticianna alla Brace (grilled pork ribs). 

Alongside we shared a dish of fagioli al forno (oven roasted beans).  Cooking beans in a wood oven turns them from ordinary into something special.  Creamy on the inside but a touch crisp on the outside, drizzled with good olive oil, they were perfect with both the fish and the pork.

Much too full for a dolce (sweet), we finished our meal with coffee (and a doggie bag for me - those ribs were hefty).  Leaving the restaurant by way of a small stone bridge, it was worth the short detour to see the small church with its unique short bell tower and mosaic decoration.  And then it was back in the car for the short drive back to Lucca.  

Good friends + a drive in the Tuscan countryside + a fabulous lunch = a perfect Sunday in Tuscany.

 La Cantina di Alfredo, Via di Colognora, 32.  Colognora di Compito Capannori

Phone: +39 058 3980192.     Cell phone: +39 331 3876800

Email: info@lacantinadialfredo.it

Closed Monday & Tuesday, open Wednesday – Sunday 12 – 2:30 NS 7 – 11 PM

Early Spring in Lucca

The first wisteria of 2025 in the Giardino degli Observant.

As March heads into April there are definite hints of spring in Lucca.  While the weather is still unpredictable, there have been some days just sunny enough to feel a touch of spring warmth on our faces.  I haven’t put away my warm coat and scarves (or my umbrella) just yet, but I can feel the day coming when I will be able to pack them away until next fall.

In my mind, two things mark the early spring season in Italy.  First is the appearance of blossoms. March’s Magnolias fade quickly but are soon replaced with Wisteria. The Wisteria are just beginning to bloom with the first sprays of flowers appearing last week. This past week also saw the first white rose along the path I walk when heading for my language lessons at Lucca Italian School. Soon the whole path will be lined with them. In the past few days I also came across a bed of white calla lilies, something I had not seen before in Lucca.  Gorgeous!

Calla Lilies in bloom at the entrance to the Casa di Cura Santa Zita

Flowers are also blooming in window boxes and on terraces throughout Lucca, spots that will become even more colorful after the spring Verde Mura which is scheduled for the first weekend in April. The annual garden show showcases flowers, herbs, fruit trees, and anything else needed for the garden. 

The second sign of early spring for me happens in the markets.  Agretti is the first to appear (sometimes as early as late January / early February).  This past week asparagus and artichokes were in abundance. Pots of herbs arrived at the Ortofrutta this week too.

There are also fresh spring peas, perfect raw in salads or added to a pasta primavera.  And zucchini flowers!  While they are wonderful stuffed and fried, I never actually go to the trouble to prepare them in that way (isn’t that what restaurants are for?).  But, chopped along with the zucchini itself they make a tasty addition to a frittata. Big bundles of Tropea Onions, available year round from southern Italy, add a splash of color to the Spring market.

From southern Italy come bright red, flavorful strawberries.  Topped with a whipped combination of cream and mascarpone they make a delicious yet simple dessert. Crumble a few amaretti cookies on top for an extra treat.

As early spring progresses to the warmth of late April and May, Lucca will provide an evolving parade of opportunities to enjoy the colors, blooms, and tastes of Tuscany.