Lucca In A Few Words

Just one of Lucca’s beautiful balconies

I am often asked to describe what it is about Lucca that I love and why I have chosen it as my base in Italy. Sometimes it is American friends who want the answer but very often it is an Italian, un proprio Lucchese (a true Lucchese), who asks me these questions.  They are curious about where I came from and why I moved here.  This often leads to a conversation about the joys of living in Lucca.   Best of all, these conversations take place in Italian, a language I am still struggling to learn. 

Recently I went to a local shop to buy some replacement lampadine (light bulbs) and a lampada (a lamp) for my bedroom.  The delightful owner started the conversation – where was I from, how long have I been in Lucca, where in Lucca do I live, and why Lucca.   I explained that I come from a big city in the United States, always in the car, lots of chaos and not so safe.  Then I used the words I know best to describe why I love it here.

The Torre Guinigi, famously topped with Oak trees, rises up just around the corner from my Lucca apartment.

A glimpse of a church window on an early morning walk is one of Lucca’s delights

I said that Lucca was una città bella (a beautiful city), tranquilla (calm), sicuro (safe), accogliente (welcoming), con musica e arte (with music and art).  Also that I loved le strade Medievale (the Medieval streets). He replied with a word that was new to me, but whose meaning was immediately clear, a word that made perfect sense.  Lucca, he said, is vivibile. 

 Vivibile means livable. That is a perfect word to describe Lucca.  Building a life here is wonderful because the city is livable.  The historic walls are like a big hug (un abbraccio) and also serve as a place to walk, run, bike, and socialize. 

 Lucca has all the characteristics and charm of a Medieval Italian hill town but without the hills (good for aging knees and hips).  The piazzas are filled with churches, statues, and fountains.  The many beautiful wooden doors, some ancient and worn others newly painted, often with ironwork atop, are a photographers dream.  Balconies are filled with flowers.  There are enticing cafes, pasticcerie (pastry shops), and restaurants.  Fresh food and good wine are available at reasonable prices.  Lucca hosts events that make life more enjoyable – concerts, festivals, art shows, garden shows, opera  – year round.  All within walking distance!   Above all the people of Lucca are amichevole (friendly). 

One of Lucca’s many cafes, The Santa Zita, where you can enjoy a coffee or a drink with a view of the mosaic capped church of San Frediano.

 I was happy to add this new word – vivibile - to my vocabulary of words that describe Lucca. 

An Italian Decade

August has come and gone, there are only a few weeks of summer left, and I have just arrived back in Lucca after a long visit with family in the US. Today I am feeling nostalgic - it was 10 years ago that I first came to Lucca, intending to have a “once in a lifetime” month of studying Italian here. Little did I know that the adventure would be much bigger than I realized at that time. Once in a lifetime turned quickly turned into once a year, then twice a year, and then, in 2018, a move to Lucca where I now spend the majority of each year. That first excursion to Lucca was a decade ago, my Italian decade. With that in mind, I thought I’d share some of my favorite photo memories from each of the last 10 years in Lucca, beginning with the gardens of Palazzo Pfanner, one of my favorite spots (top photo, from 2012).

2013 - Another garden, the Orto Botanico. I snapped this photo of two friends, some of the dearest people I have ever met, at the end of our garden visit.

2014 - An excursion to Pisa with Lucca Italian School. Those storm clouds !

2015 - One of the many Medieval celebrations in Lucca. I still never miss a chance to see one of these. I’ve gained a new appreciation for men in tights, ancient weaponry, and flag throwing.

2016 - The year I retired and went a little crazy - making three trips to Lucca. Spring (below left) and my favorite view from Lucca’s wall. Fall means beans for soup at Bottega di Prospero, one of Lucca’s oldest markets. Winter brought my first Christmas season in Lucca (made possible by a ridiculously low $400 round trip airfare!).

2017 - Spring in Lucca and another chance to study in the beautiful Liberty Style building that houses Lucca Italian School. The Santa Zita flower market, something to look forward to each spring. My favorite of the many beautiful stands of wisteria that herald spring in Lucca. The Rolling Stones came to Lucca in Fall of 2017, these posters were everywhere! The Volto Santo Procession and a medieval archery competition, both part of the Settembre Lucchese events.

2018 - Summer fun in the piazza. One of Lucca’s outdoor art exhibits. My first home in Lucca - what a thrill to see my own name on the doorbell.

2019 - A cold winter morning. Carnevale in Viareggio. A costumed participant at the Lucca Comics and Games Festival. A cooking class during Olive Oil week at Lucca Italian School.

2020 - Definitely a strange year ! Even the street art reflected the pandemic. Banners promising that all would be ok where everywhere, a sign of community spirit and hope. Christmas decorations were most welcome this year, especially with inspiring words from Dante.

2021 - Magnolias, the first sign of spring in Lucca. A sculpture from Cartasia, the celebration of paper art. Over the summer paintings of Puccini heroines appeared on many of the store shutters in Lucca, a delightful surprise.

2022 - This year marks 10 years of travel to Lucca and the easing of COVID travel rules, double the reason to celebrate. Verde Mura, the spring garden festival returned. My grandkids and daughter came to visit (finally)! The kids explored Lucca with local tour guide Diletta Barbieri. A happy group enjoying lunch after a cooking class at Extra Virgin Cooking. It has been a good year and it isn’t over yet ! Life is good in Lucca.