Hello dear friends,
I hope you have had a wonderful Easter holiday, like me, in total relaxation. However, since I was staying with some relatives who live in the province of Lucca in Tuscany, on Easter day we decided to visit a tourist destination that I had already visited before but which is different in every season. At the end of this post, I will let you know my feelings and thoughts about this place of tourist interest.
It is Villa Torrigiani, located in Capannori, a municipality in the province of Lucca. My relatives describe it as a splendid Renaissance villa, and I particularly like where it is situated - in the open Tuscan countryside.
The first impression I had of this villa as soon as I saw it is that it has a strong scenic impact, this must be said, even though it was built in the fifteenth century and expanded in the following centuries, and I immediately saw it as soon as I found myself in front of this villa.
Regarding its history, I will leave useful links for a possible visit at the bottom of this page, however, the entrance is naturally paid, but if you are in the area, I invite you to visit other Lucchese villas and palaces as well, as this villa is part of an association that seeks to protect and preserve this great artistic heritage over time.
As soon as I arrived at this place, the first thing I visited was the beautiful Italian-style park that surrounds it, and here I will tell you the truth: you risk losing a lot of time visiting this park because it is very large, there are so many statues and fountains, and inside this park, there is also an artificial cave in rococo style.
By the way, the thing that struck me most of all was the fact that the park is very well-kept, and I think this is the best time to visit it, precisely because there are so many flowers that have just bloomed, including many tulips which are my favorite flower.
There's also a small pond, not super well-kept but very beautiful and very scenic, I must say. After walking around the park and taking some photos to share here, I entered the main hall, where there are many frescoes. Unfortunately, it's the only visitable part of the Villa because talking to a guide, they explained to me that the other rooms need a deep restoration and they are trying to find the money to be able to carry out this intervention, but it's not easy.
Next to the main hall, a small bar has been set up where you can sip something warm and admire the beautiful park that you can see from this small terrace. I noticed that many people mainly come to this place to visit the park because, as I said, there are so many varieties of plants and flowers that are renewed every year.
While sipping my coffee, I made friends with the guide who conducts guided tours of this beautiful tourist site, and they explained to me that there have been several important personalities in this place over the centuries, including the poet John Milton and the philosopher Voltaire, and this is all documented. It's not the usual invention of guides to create attention to the place.
Unfortunately, during the war, the villa suffered significant damage, also because it seems it was transformed into a barracks, and now it's also used for some important exhibitions and cultural events, but the park is also used for theatrical performances and concerts while it's also open for weddings. This is also to maintain this artistic heritage because as I said before, every year they have to continue to do restorations, and it's not an easy thing, and I can understand it because, as I mentioned in other posts, I used to work as a restorer for a while.
Certainly, thanks to its strategic position, Villa Torrigiani is a starting point to discover the beauty of Tuscany, from the beautiful hills of Chianti to the most relaxing beaches of Versilia, passing through the classic art cities such as Florence, Pisa, and Lucca.
In summary, I can say that this villa, from my point of view, is where art history and beauty come together to create an unforgettable experience for those who come to this place. Then the villa is also famous for numerous legends, including that of the princess who died in the park. In fact, it's said that during a party in the villa, a princess fell in love with a young soldier. The two met secretly in this park, but discovered by the father of the princess, he killed the soldier. Desperate for the loss of her beloved, the princess is said to have committed suicide in the park, and someone claims that her ghost wanders the paths of the villa.
I don't know how much truth there is in this story, but it's true that walking around the park, I felt strange sensations and emotions. But that's also the beauty of these places, that they have these stories and mysteries.
As usual, my hope is that it will be completely restored and made fully accessible to the public because it's a truly beautiful place, and I'll tell you the truth. This place is undervalued in fact I had already been here in December and it's not very popular I've seen.
As usual, thank you for reading my story until the end. I hope I've been helpful,