This will be a long weekend for the Italians, most of them if the weather will be good, they will decide to leave the city for a trip nearby or to start the sunbathing season in one of the closest beaches...so you might fight the city completely empty of Lucchese and full of tourists.
On June 2nd we celebrate the Republic Day, this it falls on Monday and so that's why there is the chance to have some days off. Banks, offices, post and schools will be closed, but do not worry all the restaurants and some groceries stores will be opened. If you plan to use the public transport, bus or train, remember that they run on Sunday service and you might find some traffic on the roads.
The meaning of the day goes back to 1946, when through a referendum Italy had to decide to be a monarchy or a republic, so it is a similar day to the American 4th of July.
For a few years the celebrations have been canceled, it was an ordinary working day. Then thanks to the president, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, it has been revalued. He believed that the Italians needed to consider a little bit more their history and especially to give them a stronger patriotic feeling.
Let's say that the major event takes place in Rome which is a military parade dedicated each year to a theme. The Frecce Tricolori (literally, the Tricolour Arrows) will fly in the sky for a great aerobatic demonstration.
Recently because of the economic crisis and the spending review, the celebrations were reduced, there was a big discussion how necessary and important it is to spend so much public money for a day.
Let's see what they are going to do this year! Usually in the morning after 10, the first national channel RAI broadcasts the event.
Even here in Lucca there will be some celebrations in Cortile degli Svizzeri, that is just inside the Palazzo Ducale in Napoleon's square.
The city centre, Piazza Napoleone, will host for the first time the Lucca Vegan Festival: shows, market and meetings dedicated to this world and some restaurants will offer a special menus on these days May 31, June 1st and 2nd.
If you happen to be in this area, on Saturday night at 21.00, there will be a concert, which is part of the event Sinfonia a Palazzo. The Bruchsal Orchestra composed by 55 musicians will perform a tribute to Sonja Pahor. Free entrance for the event located in the Ademollo Room
Instead if you want to do as the locals, move towards the seaside in Versilia, do not forget your sun lotion and if it gets too hot, you can go shopping at one of the best market for designers, brands and much more in the nearby:
Here the high class ladies from all over Italy come quite often during the summer to find the best bargains
A more classical market is the Antique Market in Pietrasanta (Sunday June 1st 9-19). It is an easy trip by train from Lucca and you will discover a beautiful village which considered a contemporary Athens. Many artists come to work here in the marble and bronze workshops, just here they can find the most skillful and experienced stone workers.
Some days ago I found on my door mat a free copy of a famous and old Italian newspaper, Il Corriere della Sera. Then I noticed they were a little bit everywhere in town, I do not really know the reason, maybe just advertising. It is a special edition with a positive message dedicated to Italy and to the Italians that are struggling to make something of their life, that are having success in business or in their personal life.
A journalist Beppe Severgnini, which also writes for the New York Times, has just recently made a kind of survey online and has selected 100 reasons we are happy to be Italians and to love Italy.
It is still a difficult period for everybody in the world because of the economic crisis and other matters. I do not know what your media reports you about Italy, but anyway I am almost sure that it is not an idyllic picture.
I would like to share with you some of these reasons to make you smile, laugh and reflect and be happy to have come to visit a beautiful country.
Because we’re intelligent, when we’re not too smart for our own good
Because we’re intuitive, if we can avoid being superficial
Because we’re direct, although we can be impulsive
Because we’re unpredictable, as long as we’re not careless
Because no one else is so skillful at turning a crisis into a party
We have good manners and do good things (unfortunately we struggle to translate them into good conduct)
Because we have good taste. We instinctively recognize beauty
Because, now and again, we put aesthetics before ethics. It’s wrong, but it’s fun to watch
Because we’re interesting. Tourists, business travelers and Angel Merkel are never bored with Italians around.
Because people everywhere look at you. In Italy, they see you
Because the countryside is a sentimental education (north)
Because life can be uphill and downhill (center)
Because the world is a colorful idea (south)
Because history left its mark
Because Milan is our America, the land of opportunity
Because Trieste is the south of the north, the north of the south, the east of the west and the west of the east
Because Venice makes tourists think they’re poets
Because Genoa smiles and shows her teeth to the sea
Because Florence and Turin have woken up
Because Naples and Bari turn their backs on each other, respectfully
Because Calabria’s heat is exhilarating
Because in Sicily the shortest line between two points is an arabesque (with thanks to Ennio Flaiano)
Because Sardinia has a huge heart and immense patience
Because there is a north and a south, just like in the United States. Look up Scarlett O’Hara in Matera. She might be called Samantha, but she’ll be there
Because on some days, the Lombardy sky is bluer than the Italian national team’s jersey
Because we have our head in Europe, our midriff exposed and our feet dangling in the sea
Because summer’s hot and winter’s cold so we can cool off or warm up, and complain
Because we have lindens in our gardens, firs in the mountains and poppies in the fields.
Because at a certain time of year, the Alps slip off their cloak of snow and let you take a good look
Because soccer is a sport, now and again
Because everybody has played soccer
Because the flavors of our ice cream are almost metaphysical – puffo (smurf), amarissimo (as bitter as it gets), basil
Because life goes on in trains; albeit slowly, if it’s a local service
Because in airports at dawn, Italy looks like a quiet, tidy country
Because not all outdoor entertainment is entertaining, but they’re all outdoor
Because we can dance at parties without getting drunk
Because in Italian hotels, they know who you are, and remember
Because our restaurants are staffed by men and women, not robots
Because we have sea, mountains, hills, plains, romantic towns, fragrant islands, fast-flowing rivers and great lakes. Obviously, we don’t have a Grand Canyon or Great Wall. But we’re working on that
Because Italians have painted, sculpted, narrated, sung, acted, furnished and clothed life
Because we discovered America by chance
Because ancient Rome was a great power and modern Rome can be great fun
Because Italian families are hotels, restaurants, banks, insurance companies, kindergartens and care homes for the elderly (they even survive Family Day)
Because Americans go into therapy, but we sit and talk with our kids during dinner
Because we put bread, love and imagination on the table
Because we have taught the world how to eat. Well, perhaps not the whole world, but certainly the French, the British and the Americans
Because we have converted the planet to cappuccino, and in Italy no one gets refused a coffee
Because we invented the pizza, the Vespa, the Fiat 500, the Olivetti Lettera 22 typewriter and coats for women. When we keep things simple, nobody does things better
Because plenty of people criticize us, but everyone copies us
Because our country churches are better than some defenders of the faith
Because we have Europe’s youngest head of government and who knows what he’ll get up to
Because we have Europe’s oldest President and we all know what he has accomplished
Because sometimes we fly the flag back to front (red to the left?), but we still love it
Because we draft laws so complicated we sometimes forget to observe them
Because we are overindulgent with crooks and swindlers, but we spot them right away
Because we have The Great Beauty that won an Oscar and do the little goodnesses that make the world go round
Because we have a national health service, public schools and the Carabinieri
Because doctors, nurses, teachers and police officers work hard for little reward
Because there’s always someone trying to keep someone else’s spirits up
Because we only turn on the air con when it’s needed
Because we can think with our hands
Because the fields never look bored
Because around Bologna and Modena, we make romantic precision automobiles
Because Veneto is our Texas
Because they copy our coffee and pizza in Memphis, but we make their Jeeps in Melfi.
Because the undergrads at Pavia study under magnolias and wisteria
Because every laboratory in the world has a computer, a green plant and an Italian (but send us the Italian back some time)
Because some small towns along the main roads are so ugly you can’t help liking them
Because walking in town at night makes an interesting sound
Because Italy’s piazzas are reception rooms, waiting rooms, markets, meeting places, catwalks and gyms
Because we have elderly buildings in need of love and maintenance
Because when you see someone clutching their hands together, there’s a reason. They’re rubbing them and thinking, “OK, what’s next?”
Because we speak English, especially when we’re speaking Italian (è più trendy, baby)
Because we like to confuse people who judge us
Because we know that sometimes people who judge us are right
Because we love exceptions and occasionally remember there are rules
Because we are resilient, and not yet resigned
Because we are convinced nothing is impossible (A monogamous Berlusconi?!)
Because everyone is everyone else’s rival, but we’re all in it together
Because governing Italians is like herding cats (but cats have more personality than sheep)
Because the streets offer a wide range of faces. It’s hard to feel different when no one else looks the same
Because we have a sense of humor. And snicker at people who don’t
Because now and again our jaws drop, but we pick them up again
Because at least some of the time, we are what others would like to be, but don’t dare
Because Italians women know
100. Because we keep smiling no matter what
(Translated by Giles Watson)
If you enjoyed it, here you can find the entire list.
Finally I would like to point you out a few events over the weekend in Lucca and around. Let's start!
on Friday night at Santa Maria Forisportam church at 21, free entrance for the concert Music and Joy more than one hundred young people will perform. The Orchestra is composed by Lucchese students of Boccherini Conservatory and by the Carducci. Middle School. The first part of evening will be dedicated to pieces by B.Fraser, Carlo Alberto Valenti, Heitor Villalobos, Andre Lloyd Webber and Edward Elgar. Instead the second part will have also the choir joining the orchestra to perform some pieces taken from the opera The Little Sweep by Benjamin Britten.
if you are available on Saturday evening, then do not miss the second appointment with the Angeli Custodi concerts: Melologhi by Franz Liszt, piano and a telling voice. Great location and great music. For tickets and more info, please check here
Mozart will be the protagonist of the concert at the Giglio Theatre on Saturday at 21.00. Alexander Lonquich will conduct the orchestra.
For instance, on Sunday you can enjoy a walk in town browsing the Arts&Crafts Market in Piazza San Giusto (it is even on Saturday, I've written about this market on a previous post) or maybe rent a bike, cycle till the river path and on the way back stop at the May Traditional Fair/Market in Borgo Giannotti, just outside the wall. 100 stalls selling clothes, shoes, kitchenware, accessories and much more... If you have burned enough calories or you are a gelato fan, since that you are in that are do not miss Fuori dal Centro ice cream shop.
If you look for a quiet secret spot or you would like to discover new corners Lucca, on Sunday there is Exclusive Tuscany (10-13 15-19) some of the most beautiful palazzo in town will open for free their doors to show their hidden green gardens. How many times have you seen that garden from the walls and you wondered how you could get there just to have a look...or maybe you even did not know that behind that plain palace there was such a rich garden!
This event involves many the noble residences and villas in Tuscany, so if you are planning to go to Florence, Pisa, Siena even there you will find it. Please check this map for the venue in the other Tuscan cities.
Regarding Lucca, inside the walls you can visit the following gardens: Villa Niemack, Via dei Bacchettoni 25 Giardino Elisa, Via Elisa 54 Palazzo Massoni, via dell'Angelo Custode 24 Palazzo Busdraghi, Via Busdraghi 7 Palazzo Guinigi Magrini, Via Fillungo 207 Palazzo Brancoli-Pantera, via Vittorio Veneto 44
Wandering in the city, it makes you already feel in another dimension of time, but then on Saturday and Sunday here in Lucca it will be like a real blast from the past!!
The main event, connected also with the 500th anniversary of the Walls, is the Mille Miglia race, have you ever heard about it?
Here on the official website you can read the history of the most beautiful race in the world. Basically, the city of Lucca is waiting for more than 400 old epoque cars: Ferrari, Alfa Romeo Spider, Maserati, Fiat, MG, Nash-Healey, Porsche.
So here are all the times, places and details for Saturday May 17th take a note and a map with you:
at 13 the cars will start to arrive in Lucca, 80 Ferrari and Mercedes Tribute are expected, they will introduce the arrival of the actual race cars Mille Miglia. They will be located on the walls, just behind San Frediano's church and the Real Collegio, here some local typical products will be offered.
Later the cars will move to Napoleon's square, around 14.30 they will pass in front of the stage and...
At 15 o'clock the Mille Miglia race cars will begin to parade. Entering from Saint Peter's gate, they will come inside the city, then on the walls towards Elisa's gate for a chrono/time competition on the San Paolino Bulwark.
They will get checked by judges in Napoleon's square. Here you will have the chance to see the wonderful Freccia Rossa.
The cars will reach the Amphitheater square, passing by Piazza San Michele, Piazza San Salvatore, Via San Giorgio, Via Fillungo and Piazza Scalpellini. They will continue in Piazza San Frediano, Via della Cavallerizza and then they will leave the city from Santa Maria's gate. So find a place on this itinerary and be ready with your cameras!
More events connected to the passage of the cars, in Piazza Napoleone: - a beautiful choreography: 50 Fiat Cinquecento will represent the number 500 to celebrate the anniversary of the City Walls
- a cigar demonstration: how the Tuscan cigar is still made by hand.
- did you know that two lucchese people, Barsanti and Matteucci have beenrecognized as the inventors of the spark-ignited internal combustion engine? I mean they were from Pietrasanta, province of Lucca.... so there will be an exhibtion dedicated to them and old engines.
The City Crossbow team and San Paolino district (drummers, flag wavers, historical costume, archery) will welcome the old cars at Porta San Pietro, then from 15.30 till about 16 they will be in Napoleon's square and then they will do a parade, till Piazza San Michele, where they will entertain and perform till about 18. Instead in Piazza Anfiteatro, from 16.30 till 18, you will find another flag wavers and musicians parade by S.Anna district.
My dear ladies, if cars and engines are not your favourite subject, leave your husbands there and move to the Cathedral square, San Giovanni, Piazza del Giglio, Piazza San Giusto, Via del Gallo and Via del Battistero to browse and find the best bargain: a vintage necklace, a bag, some antiques hand painted china cups, plates and more at the fabulous Antiques Market. (Saturday&Sunday 9-19) I am sure you will love it!
Saturday night (May 17th) will be the European Museum night so do not miss the chance to visit two interesting city museums:
the Puccini Museum, where the local celebrity Giacomo Puccini was born and lived till the age of 20 years old. Free entrance and exceptionally it will be open from 21 till midnight (last entrance at 23.30).
Even the National Museum of Palazzo Mansi, in Via Galli Tassi will be open from 19.30 till midnight (last entrance at 23.30) and entrance ticket is 1€. It is a wonderful noble lucchese residence, beautiful 17th century frescoes everywhere, a painting gallery and a gorgeous bedroom for "just married" couples and vip guests.
Have you been told that Lucca is the city of music? So here we go, a free concert at Santa Maria Corteorlandini church on Saturday night at 21.15 dedicated to the Holy Music as a Bridge through Time. Polyphony and Spirituality will be the main protagonists of the performance: Convitto Armonico is a choir born in 1990 with the purpose to study the ancient vocal music. It will be accompanied by an organ played by Marco Montanelli. Music by: Monteverdi, Lauridsen and Whitacre. The concert is part of the Sagra Musicale Lucchese, one of the oldest festival in town, this is year is the 51st edition.
This is the right weekend also to visit the many many villas spread in the lucchese countryside. Starting from tomorrow May 16th till Sunday, seven of them will open their gates to public to visit the gardens and the mansion for the Ville in Fioreevent: Villa Gambaro, Lazzareschi, Mazzarosa, Pierotti-Bagneschi, Villa Leoni, Palazzo Buonvisi and Bove. They are all very close between them, but you will need a car to get there and to move easily. Each villa has its own program: arts&crafts market, typical local product market, flowers, wine, oil and beer and much more...
Then on Sunday late afternoon if you are still not tired and exhausted from a busy weekend, join the free Zumba class at 18.30 at the Cortile degli Svizzeri. Just in Piazza Napoleone, go through the arch of the palace, next to the Stella Polare bar. Jump, move and dance and I am sure you will sleep tight and then let me know how was your weekend in Lucca! Have fun!!
Yesterday May 1st started with a nice sunny day here in Lucca, I hope that you enjoyed it with a stroll on the walls, a meal outside or an ice cream in a lively square of the city.
A new weekend is getting close, even if, since Easter it has been quite confusing to remember what day is it. Have you been told that Lucca is the city of Music? Here we go:
On Saturday at 21.15 in the St. Martin's Cathedral, there will be a free concert: the choir coming from the Anglican Church of St Georg in Paris. Its repertoire goes from Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Dvorak, Stravinsky, Lennox-Berkeley a Palestrina, Victoria, Byrd, Tallis, Lassus. The choir's director is Peter Hicks, Simon Lawford will play the organ and the solo parts will be of Lucie Louvrier.
This is the second event of a very important festival for the city called Sagra Musicale Lucchese, this is the 51st edition and it involves the most beautiful churches in and outside Lucca. More free music on Saturday night at 21.15 will be in Santa Maria's Corteorlandini church, the unique baroque church in town. The Santa Felicita group will perform the traditional holy music concert with a tribute to Giacomo Puccini.
Another genre of music, jazz will be the protagonist the next following days. On the walls, at the San Regolo's bulwark on Saturday will open the photo exhibition "Do your remember Chet? Chet Baker in Lucca"
Did you know that this great trumpet player was imprisoned here? Exactly in that jail that you can see walking on the walls.
The exhibition opening times: from May 4th to 9th in the afternoon 16-20. Free entrance. Ladies: 3 markets for you!! The weekly local market on Saturday morning (9-13) in Via dei Bacchettoni, then: still on May 3rd for the entire day, the area of Piazza San Martino - Piazza San Giovanni - Piazza Del Giglio - Piazza XX Settembre will be full of clothes, shoes, kitchenware, sweets, plants and flowers and a little bit of everything. It is the market, the fair for The May Cross. It is as you can imagine, a religious occasion celebrated almost everywhere in Italy to remember the finding of Jesus's cross. Elena, Costantino's wife, found it on the Calvary mountain. (Mass will be at 9, 10.30 and 19 in the Cathedral)
It is a very ancient tradition, do not confuse it with the Holy Face (Volto Santo) feast, which is in September and it is just a Lucchese event. You can continue your shopping in San Paolino district (Via di Poggio, Piazza dei Cocomeri, Piazza Cittadella) at the Arts & Talent market, (Sat&Sun 9-20). It is a small market but they have sometimes some interesting objects with a medieval taste.
Sunday morning, instead will be the first time for the Lucca Half Marathon! Go and support the runners! The itinerary will be mainly inside the city: the start will be at Porta Elisa, then Piazza Santa Maria, Fillungo, outside the walls and then back to arrive at Porta San Gervasio. There are about 1.200runners!!
Again you can attend a Golf Competition this weekend outside the walls. There will be two croquet lawns close to the San Donato's Bulwark where international players will compete. I think that if the sun will shine a day trip to Viareggio can be fun, it is only 30 mins by train from Lucca. From the railway station you can easily walk to the Passeggiata, the long promenade along the seaside full of shops, liberty buildings and beach clubs. This time of the year the beach is getting ready with umbrellas and sun beds, the view on the Apuan Alps will be beautiful.
You can stop at the pier where all the luxurious yachts and sail boats are parked to enjoy some Italian fish&chips at La Barchina.
You will probably have to queue a little bit because it is delicious and very well known!
Then if you will reach almost the end of the Passeggiata at the Principe di Piemonte hotel conference room you can enjoy a craft beer at the festival:Il senso della Birra
Finally, if you have already planned your weekend away from Lucca and you will head towards Florence, do not miss the Gelato Festival at the Palazzo dei Congressi gardens, just opposite Santa Maria Novella train station. Admire the ice cream masters and their delightful creations! Yummy!! :)
