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When
in Lucca
The medieval town of
Lucca is an undiscovered gem that rivals nearby Florence, Pisa, and Siena.
Little known beyond the cognoscenti who have vacationed here for
generations, the surrounding Lucchesia region has a charm even more authentic
and sophisticated than the rest of Tuscany. The landscape of gentle hills,
blanketed with olive groves and vineyards, camellia-scented gardens and
forested coastline, is a haven of calm and beauty.
Lucca,
the walled 'city of a hundred churches'--a treasure trove of medieval
and Renaissance art and architecture.
.
The
palacial villas of the Lucca aristocracy offer views into a world of beauty,
a life surrounded by art.
The traditional cuisine of Lucchesia
balances subtle sophistication with an earthy appreciation for the local
bounty of the land.
The beaches of Versilia, little known
to foreign tourists, are where the money of Milan vacations.
In Lucca, shopping is a splendid
sensual experience: look for fine silks and culinary treats.
Carrara and Pietrasanta are known throughout
the world for their precious white marble from the Apuane Alps.
Many sculptors, among them Botero, Igor Mitoraj, and Gio Pomodoro, have
been drawn by the white stone to live and work here.
Carrara hosts the Civic Museum of Marble, on the Via XX Settembre.
You can also take a wonderful guided excursion, about 3 hours long, to
Colonnata and Fantiscritti, the two hills behind the city where the marble
is quarried from caves, and observe how the marble is extracted. Drive
back along the route of the historic marble railway, the Ferrovia Marmifera,
through bridges and galleries built more than a century ago. Information
is available at Apt. Massa Carrara, viale Vespucci 24, Marina di Massa.
In Pietrasanta, marble has been worked continuously since the time
of Cosimo I, in the sixth century. Here you can visit artisans' studios
where copies of antique masterpieces are made for the world markets. One
of the most venerable studios is the Cervietti, at Via S. Agostino, 53,
where a team of renowned specialists provide services for important sculptors
throughout the world. Many of the studios offer sculpture and art objects
for sale, including Giuseppe Giannoni at Via Santa Maria 2, and Studio
Argos at Via Garibaldi 101. You can also take summer courses in sculpting
and ceramics. For information on tours and courses, ask at the Apt. of
Versilia, Via Donizzetti, 14, in Marina di Pietrasanta.
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