Music, markets and marathon among the Lucca streets

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 1.200 runners!! 

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!! :)

Pontormo&Rosso Fiorentino an extraordinary exhibition in Florence

I think that Palazzo Strozzi is one of the best reality in Florence and generally speaking in Tuscany for exhibitions, art and events. I am always keeping an eye on what's going on and what will be coming next.

Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino "Diverging Path of Mannerism", an incredibly beautiful exhibition opened just a couple of weeks ago and it will last till July, 20th.

This is a list of reasons and suggestions, just my personal advice. Of course, if you will go, let me know your thoughts!

I appreciated very much how the exhibition has been set up, you can really understand the meaning of the title Diverging Paths. Two twins artists till a certain point (they both were trainees of Andrea del Sarto and lived in the same period in Florence), then each one has followed his own way. So at the end I got to think which one did I like the most?

Still nowadays we are astonished by the genius of Michelangelo, Raffaello and Leonardo, but have you ever tried to put yourself in the shoes of an artist that tried to succeed immediately after those three masters? I mean, how can you handle the comparison? Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino took that challenge and the exhibition will show you how they reacted and what they realized. 

A thing I will never forget: the bright, glazed colours of the Visitation by Pontormo, those four massive women occupying almost all the scene in front of you, you perceive that they are mysterious and so gentle at the same time. (look at Saint Elizabeth). And pay attention everytime, how these painters use the colours: sharp, shimmering and vivid. 

It has just been restored, so this image has nothing to do with the original!

I love when you can see also the sketches and drawings! Here, there are two rooms completely dedicated to them. Have a look at the architecture of Rosso Fiorentino, it is just perfect and it makes you understand how talented and careful he was. Instead it seems that Pontormo is just painting himself all the times? 

Paintings can be a document of a period of time. How was to live in Florence in the early 1500? Would you be with or against the Medici family? The artists had to choose which side to stay and the portraits are a great evidence. Anyway, you will be surprised that some of this men are so ordinary, they could be your neighbour! 

Do not miss any expression of the faces: saints, angels that look like animals, monsters or demons but even the sweetest thing in the world! 

Why not a young and curly blond Saint Joseph? 

Seize that moment! Maddalena catching Jesus' feet preventing them to touch the floor, her red mantel blowing up and the awkward position of John. Doesn't it seem just a quick snapshot, does it?  

If you can, book a guided visit, it is so worthy! This kind of exhibitions are huge and you usually end up at in the last rooms quite overwhelmed by all the paintings, papers, books, panels, people around etc..and you do not remember how you started! Instead, the guide will help you a lot to go through the rooms selecting the most important works, you will notice details, you will be given the right tools to appreciate what you are seeing. Another positive point: you have a question, you can ask and hopefully ;) receive an answer! Then after the tour, you can stay longer at the exhibition, go back to see that painting, meditate on it at your own pace. It's the ideal! I enjoyed the exhibition so much with Isabella, that I hope I can go back as soon as possible. 

For further information on Florence, Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino exhibition please get in contact with Paola.