Lucca In the Year 1369

Italians have long memories, especially when it comes to historic events and rivalries. The Lucchese are no exception. Each spring they celebrate several long-ago events - World War II Liberation Day and the feast of Santa Zita, for starters. One unique local celebration recalls the year 1369, when the city of Lucca gained its liberty from its most hated rival - Pisa (not by war, but by declaration of the Emperor Charles IV, in exchange for a large sum of money). Today’s rivalry with Pisa mostly involves soccer and the claim to who has the best city to visit or live in, but in 1369, achieving freedom from domination by a rival city state was huge. After that, Lucca fought hard to maintain its independence from all rivals, especially Pisa and Florence, 

Fierce ladies - each with an arco lungo (long bow)

So, just how is this major historical event celebrated? Picture Medieval costumes, archers with long bows and cross bows, drummers and flag throwers. Add in city and church officials reading proclamations and lots of spectators,locals, tourists, and wide-eyed children, all watching history recreated in the square in front of the cathedral of San Martino, and you have an exciting and photo-worthy event. 

Lanciatori di bandiera (flag throwers) - a crowd favorite as they toss their flags high into the air

The celebration of Lucca’s liberation from Pisa, on the Sunday following Easter, is one of my favorite annual events and one that, for me, says welcome to spring in Lucca, a city where history comes alive.  

-post by JMB

Balestrieri with their cross bows (balestre)

The sounds of drums is a big part of the festival. These batteriste (drummers) come in all ages. 

No Translation Needed

Now that I’m living in Italy, I feel some pressure to improve my Italian language skills. I try to do all of my “business” (shopping, setting up a phone contract, arranging shipping, etc.) in Italian and, thanks to some very, very patient locals, I am mostly successful. I am also taking a weekly semi-private lesson (with my friend Claire) at the wonderful Lucca Italian School (also known as LIS). I have a fabulous teacher in Antonella, who patiently explains (as many times as I need) the use of the passato prossimo versus the imperfetto past tenses, prepositions (oh - the horror of Italian prepositions), and - heaven help me - the use of the congiuntivo. Grazie Antonella and LIS!

Two recent attempts at translation brought unexpected results. First, I went into a home goods store to buy a muffin pan. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the word for muffin pan and I had forgotten to look it up before leaving home. I found the pan high on a shelf and asked the man working there to please reach it for me.  As he handed it to me, I asked, “Come si chiama questo tipo di teglia in Italiano” (what do you call this type of baking pan in Italian)?  With a quite serious look on his face he answered me -”si chiama teglia di “muffin.” Muffin, no translation needed. We both got a good laugh over that one! 

The pink variety is a visual treat.

Walking through town I noticed beautiful magnolia trees just beginning to bloom along Corso Garibaldi. Pulling out my dictionary, I looked for a translation for magnolia tree.  I know that a hydrangea is an ortensia and a wisteria is a glicine, so surely there should be an Italian word for a magnolia, right? It turns out that in Italy, a magnolia is, well, a magnolia (named for a French botanist). And, although I associate them with the American South, magnolias are actually common in Italy, often growing into huge trees. In March, they light up Lucca with their beautiful white and pink blossoms. 

So - no translation needed - we hope you enjoy these photos of the beautiful magnolias of Lucca.         \

-post by JMB

A Recommended Hotel in Florence: The Morandi alla Crocetta

What do you look for when you choose a hotel in Italy?

A courtyard at Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta

I look for places that are small, unique to the city I’m visiting, simple yet charming, and reasonably priced. I avoid the big chains and international brands in favor of places that are family-owned and offer local character and personal touches. I find the smaller hotels to be welcoming and friendly with great connections to local culture and wonderful service to guests.

The first time I traveled to Florence, 20-some years ago, I came across a gem of a small hotel called the Morandi alla Crocetta. I’ve stayed there many times since and it never disappoints – in fact, it’s the only place I stay when I’m in Florence. It has the perfect combination of history, charm, location, service, and price.

Wearing the laurel wreath of a graduate of the law school, right next to the hotel

The hotel is at 50 Via Laura in the section of Florence near the Ospedale degli Innocenti, Church of SS. Annunziata, the Academia (home of the David), and the Archeological Museum. It’s an easy walk to all the major points of interest in Florence, about eight minutes to the Duomo. This is a lively (but not noisy) neighborhood, which is also home to the University of Florence School of Law. During my recent visit, I was able to watch the graduation celebrations as law students and their families marked the completion of degrees (laurea in Italian). What fun it was to witness this event!

Many artifacts related to Sister Domenica are displayed in the hotel

The Morandi alla Crocetta is a unique property, originally a convent founded by Sister Domenica del Paradiso (what a name!) in the early 16th century, during the era of the Medici. According to the history provided in the hotel literature, Sister Domenica sided with the Medici family in their conflict with the powerful cleric Savonarola, and so the Medici rulers gave her this land on which to build her convent. The convent was called the Convent of the Cross (cross is crocetta in Italian) as all the nuns had a small red cross on their habits. The convent was later enlarged by a Medici princess and connected by an overpass to her palazzo so she could worship at the convent’s small chapel. With time, and a period of religious suppression, the nuns moved away and the convent ceased to exist.

Today’s hotel Morandi includes the cloister and gardens from the historic convent. It is a small hotel with two floors (ground and first, with an elevator). The convent’s chapel is no longer accessible, but the former entry to the chapel is perhaps the most interesting room in the hotel - complete with 17th century frescoes and illustrations of the life of Sister Domenica. This room is a bit of a splurge, but definitely worth it.

Ceiling Fresco, Chapel Room

Chapel Room

Fresco, Chapel Room

Other rooms range from small (comfortable and economical) singles to large suites, some with private outdoor patios. There are several gracious lounge areas with a variety of books, magazines, and newspapers for browsing.

Desk area in single room

Single Room

Double Room

Since I was staying in one of the small single rooms during my most recent visit, I made good use of the comfortable public areas as a place to read and do some writing.

The hotel provides a full breakfast in an elegant room overlooking a small courtyard garden. Breakfast includes a basket of cornetti (Italian style croissants) and bread with jam, yogurt, fruit, cereal, juice, coffee, and tea. Also available are eggs, bacon, ham, salami, and cheeses. It’s a great place to meet other travelers and compare experiences over morning coffee. In the evening, the breakfast room transforms into a bar.

My most recent stay at the hotel Morandi alla Crocetta (October 2018) was a delight. This is a place that I happily recommend.  I’m already planning a return next summer with my family.       - post by JMB

Contact info: 

Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta

Via Laura 50, Firenze 50121   

phone: +39 055 234 4748

email: welcome@hotelmorandi.it

Even a Wanderer Sometimes Needs a Map

One of the joys of having plenty of time in an Italian city is the opportunity to simply wander. Strolling through vibrant neighborhoods and discovering for oneself a fountain, piazza, church, cafe, monument, garden, or historic building is a wonderful experience. Stumbling into an unexpected and intriguing street scene, full of Italian chatter and maybe even some music, is the stuff of Italian daydreams. Getting lost, and finding your way back to a familiar landmark, is part of the fun. But still, even an inveterate wanderer sometimes needs a map.

Maps provide more than just direction; they can give context to a place, delineate neighborhoods, link important landmarks (rivers, bridges, buildings) to discoveries made while wandering, and provide a quick and efficient orientation to a new place. A good map is a treasure.

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A View from Lucca's Wall

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Portico, Lucca

 When visiting larger cities, it's fairly easy to find a detailed map, or a good guidebook. There are so many choices for Rome or Florence that it's easy to find just the right one to suit any need. But in the smaller cities, places less visited by tourists, finding a good map can be a challenge. I certainly found this to be true when I first visited Lucca.  The American guidebooks devoted just a quick page or two to Lucca, seemingly an afterthought in a guide otherwise devoted to Florence. If a map was included at all it showed just a few main streets and sites. I found better guidebooks in the local bookstores once I arrived, but the maps available were still small and lacking in detail. I often found myself wandering down a small vicolo (lane) that I simply could not locate on any of the available maps, or looking at a marvelous building, garden, or church with no idea of what I was seeing.

And then, several years ago during an online search before a return visit to Lucca, I stumbled across The Wanderer's Map of Lucca and it's accompanying guidebook, "The Wanderer's Guide to Lucca." Both map and guidebook were written by Brian Lindquist, an American who came here for a visit and, in his own words, "got waylaid." How fortunate for us that he did, because he has written what I consider to be the essential tool for getting to know Lucca. The book is divided into sections that cover the history of Lucca, the churches, the palazzi, the families who played an important role in the history of Lucca, the city streets, and the three generations of city walls.  

The book is a fascinating and informative read for those who want to dive deep into the history of Lucca, those who love its Medieval streetscapes and architecture (count me among them), and anyone who has looked at a structure such as the Torre Guinigi (Guinigi Tower) and wondered who the heck those Guinigis were and why they have a tower named after them. Readers interested in art history will also find the information about art, especially the art original to the many churches, invaluable.

But the map - or should I say THE map - is an essential tool for getting to know Lucca. My copy is so creased and worn after accompanying me on many trips that I recently ordered a new one. I now have one to bring with me and one posted on a wall in my house to feed my recollections, mental meanderings, and daydreams!  

Why is the Wanderer's Map so important?  To begin with, it's big (19 x 26 inches) and easy to read. It shows the important features of Lucca, including the footprint of all 3 walls (Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance) and all the streets, from main drag Via Filungo to the smallest vicolo. The existing churches are shown as are the locations of churches that used to stand but are no more (Lucca used to be called the City of 100 Churches; today there are about 40 within the 2.5-mile circumference of the city walls). Each palazzo is named and its location shown. The map key is clear and easy to use - in the section pictured below, churches are in red, palazzi in purple. The orange lines signify Medieval streetscapes.  Flip the map over to find that it is annotated (linked to the numbers shown on the map below), giving information about each church, the walls, and the families whose names still are important in Lucca, as seen in the many local streets and palazzi that bear their names.

The map and guidebook are my companions in Lucca. They provide a wealth of information and inspiration. I love having at my fingertips a resource that tells me that the church of Santa Caterina, one of the recently restored small churches in Lucca, was built in 1575 or that San Giovanni e Reparata church (shown in the photo below) once housed the relics of St. Pantaleone. My visiting friends tell me that I make a good tour guide - if so, it is thanks in large part to all that I have learned from the Wanderer's Map and Wanderer's Guide to Lucca. 

Piazza Antelminelli, Lucca with a view of the back of the church of San Giovanni e Reparata

Both map and guidebook are available from Lindquist Historical Guides, Inc. 119 Midland Street Bridgeport, Conn. 06605 or oline from www.lindquistguides.com.  The book with a copy of the map is available for $27.95 (includes shipping); map alone for $9.95. Note that they only ship to addresses within the United States.  Book without map is also available on Amazon.

Grazie mille to Brian Lindquist for kindly giving permission to include photos of the Wanderer's Map in this post.           Post by JMB

Castelli e Cipolle (Castles and Onions) in Bagnone, Italy

 Some of my favorite travel experiences are the result of serendipity - happy accidents that result in the discovery of something wonderful. Though I am by nature a planner, I have learned the joy of leaving some things to chance and grabbing opportunities that arise during the course of travel.

The river in Bagnone

Such an opportunity recently presented itself in the form of an invitation to accompany a fellow language student on a day trip to the small town of Bagnone for its annual spring onion sagra (festival). I knew nothing about Bagnone, or what made its onions worth celebrating, so some research was in order prior to this trip.

Bagnone lies in the province of Massa - Carrara, Tuscany, about 60 minutes from Lucca by car. This area is known as the Lunigiana, a historical designation from before the unification of Italy, crossing the border between Tuscany and Liguria. Importantly, it is home to a large number of Medieval-era castles/fortresses, about 30 of which are intact. Many others are visible as ruins, dotting hillsides and small hamlets throughout the Lunigiana.

Bagnone is charming, with a small branch of the Magra river flowing through the middle of town. There is also a 14th century castle that encloses a still-occupied Medieval village. This is not a town with many tourists. Strolling along its quiet streets (pictured below) was a pleasure, as was wandering through the village surrounding the castle, which lies up a hill above the center of Bagnone.

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As for the onions - Bagnone includes an even smaller borgo (neighborhood) just up the hill from Bagnone proper and called Treschietto. A recent local census lists 96 inhabitants, most over the age of 65. Looming over Treschietto is the ruin of a castle, complete with a tall, round tower.

The tower and castle ruin in Treschietto, Bagnone.

Treschietto is famous for a small, round onion (cipolla) that is red on the outside and white on the inside. The Cipolla di Treschietto is mild and sweet. It is said that the onion “non fa lacrimare”  (doesn’t make you cry). The onion is grown in fields in and around Treschietto and each year, at the end of April and beginning of May, the community hosts a festival where everyone gathers to eat piatti tipici (local specialty dishes) made with the famous onions. These dishes were a good example of cucina povera, simple foods eaten in rural areas where resources are limited.

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Sitting under a large tent, at a communal table, we sampled Barbotta (a soft onion, cornmeal, and cheese torte), torta di cipolle (a crispy onion pie with the white and green parts of the onion and a spinach-like taste), and a pasta with sugo di cipolle (onion sauce). 

We also saw many people eating the onions raw, dipped in a little bit of olive oil.

As a bonus, no one at our table spoke English and the meal was accompanied by lively Italian conversation with friendly locals, a spontaneous language lesson and a delightful cultural experience. Serendipity indeed.

-post by JMB

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