The villas of Lucca

In the countryside and in the hilly area surrounding the Plain of Lucca are the Lucchese villas with their enchanting gardens, luxurious historical residences built between the 16th and 19th centuries at the behest of noblemen and wealthy merchants from Lucca. These are true jewels of art and architecture set in a suggestive natural context that deserve to be visited and known.

“On the well-cultivated hills, which surround on all sides the fertile plain of Lucca, are scattered among vineyards and olive groves the pleasant villas of the patrician families”, distributed over a territory “around Lucca [that] for six miles, from the plain and up to the middle of the hills, develops […] towards the Florentine”.
Georg Christoph Martini

Let’s discover Lucca’s most beautiful and interesting villas together!

ROYAL VILLA OF MARLIA

One of the oldest and most sumptuous is the Villa Reale of Marlia, a hamlet in the municipality of Capannori. Located a few minutes from Lucca, it is famous for having been the residence of Elisa Baciocchi, the most enterprising and ambitious of Napoleon’s sisters, at the time sovereign first of Lucca and then of the whole of Tuscany. The villa is the result of various interventions over the centuries. The marvellous complex, which extends over 16 hectares, includes the sumptuous Villa Reale, the refined Palazzina dell’Orologio, the Villa del Vescovo and a marvellous park, which preserves the 17th century layout. The park includes the Avenue of the Camellias, with over forty varieties of camellia japonica; the Lemon Garden, with over 200 citrus plants; and the Verzura Theatre, which is an extraordinary example of natural architecture.

VILLA MANSI

In Segromigno in Monte, also in the municipality of Capannori, there is Villa Mansi, one of the most famous villas in Lucca, which hides a disturbing secret: the ghost of the beautiful noblewoman Lucida Mansi, the victim of an unholy pact with the devil, is said to be haunting its rooms. . Dating back to the 16th century, the villa is famous for the elegance of its architectural lines and the magnificence of its gardens. The complex, which extends over an area of approximately 4 hectares, includes, in addition to the Villa, the Stables and the Gardener’s House. Inside the villa there are numerous frescoes of notable beauty, among which those in the central hall stand out, created by the neoclassical painter Stefano Tofanelli. Don’t miss the lovely English garden, dating back to the nineteenth century.

VILLA GRABAU

In San Pancrazio, a few km from Lucca, there is Villa Grabau, a wonderful example of neoclassical architecture. Built on a building that already existed in 1412, the villa was owned by the Diodati family of Lucca merchants from 1610, under whom it took on Renaissance forms. However, it was only with subsequent owners that it took on the neoclassical appearance that can be admired today. The villa is furnished with period furniture and paintings, among which those created by the famous Lucca artist Francesco Bianchi stand out, who painted, among other things, the Palazzo Ducale in Lucca. The surrounding park extends for 9 hectares and is made up of: a greenery theatre, an English garden full of species introduced during the nineteenth century, a wonderful Italian garden and a fine lemon house dating back to the seventeenth century.

VILLA OLIVA

Also in the San Pancrazio area, on the slopes of the Pizzorne plateau, we find Villa Oliva, dating back to the end of the 16th century. It was built at the behest of Ludovico Buonvisi by the Lucca architect and sculptor Matteo Civitali, who created several architectural works in Tuscany, the most notable of which is undoubtedly Palazzo Pretorio in Lucca. The complex then passed to the Paolozzi family and finally to the Oliva family, still owners, who carried out significant renovation works. The park, completely fenced, extends over an area of approximately 5 hectares and is made up of various gardens. The rich botanical complement includes tall conifers but also camphor trees, hawthorns and calicantes. The beauty of the place is enhanced by stone and terracotta statues and several fountains.

VILLA BERNARDINI

In Vicopelago, a hamlet of Lucca, there is Villa Bernardini, a jewel of late Renaissance architecture. As attested by the inscription on the access portal, it was built in 1615 at the behest of Bernardino Bernardini, an enlightened thinker and one of the most famous politicians of the time. It still presents many elements of its wonderful past: it preserves furniture and furnishings commissioned by the Bernardini over the centuries with the family coat of arms carved or painted on them. Each room reserves small surprises. The surrounding park, which extends over an area of 8 hectares, is divided into four spaces: the English Garden, called the Romantic Garden due to its characteristic heart-shaped plant; the Teatro di Verzura, built around the mid-1700s; the Secret Garden; and the enchanting Limonaia.

VILLA TORRIGIANI

One of the most impressive and scenic is undoubtedly Villa Torrigiani in Camigliano, a hamlet of Capannori. The villa dates back to the early sixteenth century but was largely renovated in the second half of the seventeenth century, when it was purchased by the Marquis Nicolao Santini, ambassador of the Republic of Lucca to the court of Louis XIV, who transformed it into a small palace inspired by Versailles. An extraordinary example of Baroque architecture, it stands out from other Lucca villas for the colorful façade of the main building, made with different materials. Inside, the rich original furnishings and decorative frescoes by the quadraturist Pietro Scorzini are perfectly preserved. Also of notable beauty is the park with nymphaeum, water features and statues, whose current appearance is the result of transformations that took place in the 19th century.