Lake Massaciuccoli in Tuscany

April 08, 2019 by Joanne Bartram in Tuscany, Italy, #italytravel, Lucca, Family Travel

When picturing Tuscany - beautiful cities, art, fabulous food, rolling hillsides, umbrella pines and Cypress trees - it’s easy to forget the area is also home to coastline, lakes, and nature preserves. Recently, I was able to visit one of these lakes with a small group of students and teachers from Lucca Italian School. This was a different slice of Tuscany, and one well worth visiting.

Along the eastern shore of Lago Massaciuccoli

First, a bit of history. Once upon a time, the areas of coastal Tuscany, including Lucca, contained large areas of marshland. Teeming with wildlife, these areas frequently flooded, causing problems for nearby cities (damage, mosquitoes, malaria). Eventually, many of the wetland areas disappeared, some naturally and others drained in the name of creating more livable environments for humans and a greater productive land mass.

Late afternoon sun on Lake Massaciuccoli

Today the largest remaining wetland in Tuscany is Lago Massaciuccoli (a bit of a tongue twister, pronounced Mass-a-choo-co-li). It lies about 12 miles (18 km) from Lucca, an easy 35-minute car ride. There is also a bike path that begins just outside Lucca and goes all the way to the lake. Lake Massaciuccoli is also connected by a series of canals to nearby Viareggio and can be reached by bike path from that city as well.

Lake Massaciuccoli has two very different shores. On the west, closest to Viareggio, lies the town of Torre del Lago. Here, in a beautiful lakeside villa, Puccini wrote many of his famous operas and also hunted in the areas around the lake. Here, too, is the Teatro Puccini, home to the Puccini Opera festival. This is the “civilized” more urban part of the lake. On this visit I skipped the western shore and headed straight to the “wild side” on the eastern shore

The entrance to the Oasi LIPU wetlands at Lake Massaciuccoli

On the eastern shore, by the tiny town of Massaciuccoli, lies the Oasi LIPU protected wetlands, a wild bird sanctuary. The edges of the lake, full of marshes with tall reeds, are crossed by wooden boardwalks that skim just above the water and have small observation blinds at key points, allowing visitors to watch the wildlife while hidden from view. Staying still, quiet, and out of sight allows for great bird watching.

There are informative signs about wildlife and flora posted along the boardwalk and in the observation points. Also offered are guided bird-watching expeditions and various types of boating expeditions (canoe, kayak, and larger tourist boats). This is a great place to sit with a pair of binoculars, walk along the boardwalks, listen to the sounds of bird calls, or peer into the shallow waters to see what lies beneath.

This peaceful place provides a nice side trip from nearby cities, a chance to experience the “wild” side of Tuscany, and an easy walk along the boardwalk. I visited in mid-March when plants were still in winter mode, the dried stalks of last summer’s flowers had a beauty all their own.

Late winter in the wetlands of Lake Massaciuccoli

A stop in the town of Massaciuccoli provides a good spot for a coffee, lunch, or a glass of wine post exploration. There is also a nearby archeological site - but that’s a topic for another post. -post by JMB

Finding Luck in the New Year - The Italian Way

January 07, 2019 by Joanne Bartram in Italian culture, Italy

Italy is a land of traditions and fun-to-embrace superstitions. As in many cultures, some of these relate to the beginning of a new year and finding good luck, love, and fortune in the coming months - and who doesn't want all that?

One tradition, the wearing of new red underwear, is said to bring romance and even fertility in the coming year. Store windows display pretty red underthings that are supposed to be given as gifts and worn just on New Year’s Eve (I’m not sure if this is an old superstition or just a good marketing tool). In a pinch, a red article of clothing seems a reasonable compromise.

In the spirit of “out with the old to make room for the new,” getting rid of old things by tossing them out the window is an old tradition that I have never encountered, though I’ve heard it still happens in small towns in southern Italy If visiting there on New Year’s Eve, be prepared to duck! Maybe we should just toss out old problems and outdated ways of doing things instead?

It is also said that the first person you see in the new year will determine the type of year it will be. Good luck follows if you meet an elderly person (if of the opposite gender - or a hunchback - that’s even better), but worry if you first encounter a child or a priest.

Winter skies in Lucca - starting the new year here makes me feel pretty lucky!

Of course some of the new year traditions involve food. Eating 12 grapes is good luck, as is eating pomegranate. Perhaps the best luck (at least financially) comes from eating lentils (lenticchie), which are coin shaped. Increase the luck factor by including rounds of sausage in the dish. Not one to ignore superstition (except maybe for the new red underwear), I was sure to have a pot of lentil soup over the holiday. Mine was full of carrots and celery and included sausage, though I skipped the traditional round (another coin shape) cotechino sausage, which was just too big for my small pot of lentils. I used crumbled small sausages instead (hopefully that does not mean my fortunes will crumble!). This made a flavorful soup and, if the superstition holds, will ensure that I have all the coins I need to stay in Italy throughout 2019. Fingers crossed! -post by JMB

Rome window, 1996. I hope to visit here in 2019.

A cafe just off Piazza San Michele, Lucca

Even a Wanderer Sometimes Needs a Map

July 02, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italy, Lucca, Italy travel, Italian art architecture, History

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.

A View from Lucca's Wall

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

Signs of Spring in Lucca

April 30, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italian gardens, Italy travel, Tuscany, Italy, Lucca

Tiny yellow buttercups grow along the wall in Lucca, beautiful against a view of distant hills.

I’ve been waiting, not very patiently, for spring to arrive in Lucca.

Winter and early spring were unusually cold and rainy this year and the little hints of spring that showed up in early April were fleeting - the tease of just one warm day followed by several days of clouds, rain, and cool temperatures. The trees along the wall remained stubbornly bare, lemon trees remained in the limonaia, and vines were stark without even a hint of new growth.

I began to doubt that the sun would ever come to stay, that trees would sprout leaves, or that flowers would bloom. Flora (the Italian goddess of flowers and spring) seemed to have deserted me.

Today, I can happily say that the wait is over. Temperatures have soared during the past few days, changing from hat and glove weather to short sleeve and sandals weather in a flash. As I write this in late April, temperatures have hit the low 80s, not one day of rain is in the forecast all week, and i fiori (the flowers) have arrived. Sono contenta! (I'm happy!)

The trees along le mura (the city walls) are now green with leaves, tiny yellow buttercups bloom along the walls, and the sycamores in Piazza Grande (also called Piazza Napoleone) provide a beautiful green canopy around the square and the now-busy carousel.

This week I visited my favorite garden (on the grounds of Palazzo Pfanner) and found that the lemon and orange trees had been moved out from their winter home in the limonaia and were full of fruit. Showy peonies were blooming as was a magnolia tree and several bushes. Can roses and hydrangeas be far behind? How I hope they bloom before I head home to the U.S. in a few weeks.

The most dramatic and lovely proof that spring has truly arrived comes in the form of the glicine (wisteria) that have bloomed throughout Lucca. They spill over walls and terraces and across arbors with their soft colors and long flower heads. For me, it isn’t spring until the wisteria bloom.

I noticed the first wisteria blossoms along the wall that encircles the historic city. I then spent an afternoon wandering through town to the spots where I remembered the most stunning displays of wisteria from past years. While a few had not yet bloomed, several of my favorites, in Piazza Parigi and Piazza Antelminelli (pictured below), were just as beautiful as I recalled.

Italy in spring, Italy in flower - Bellissima! -post by JMB

The beautiful borgo of Sant'Andrea di Compito — The beautiful *borgo* of Sant'Andrea di Compito

Sant'Andrea di Compito, Borgo delle Camelie - and a Story of Flowers

April 16, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Italian culture, Garden Festivals Italy, Italy travel, Camellia Festival Italy, Travel, Italy, Tuscany

About 40 minutes southeast of Lucca by car lies the village (borgo in Italian) of Sant’Andrea di Compito. The village is known for its Medieval charm and for an annual display of camellias (camelie in Italian), which marks the beginning of spring in this region. Recently I, along with new friends Jennifer and Gillian from Lucca Italian School, spent a lovely early spring day here. The village is easily reached by bus from Lucca and - per fortuna! - our visit fell on one of the weekends of the Antiche Camelie della Lucchesia festival.

Camellias grow above an old stone wall in Sant'Andrea di Compito.

Winding up the gently sloped streets we passed ancient churches, a tiny chapel (cappellina), an 11th century signal tower (where the severed heads of criminals were once displayed in an iron basket above the door), beautiful vistas, and an old cemetery where the grave markers gave hints about the history of this area (including one with the names of two men killed on the same day during WWII - a moving reminder of the very real effects of a not-so-long-ago war).

There are also villas that are hundreds of years old, small springs and creeks running through (and under) the village, beautiful stone walls, pretty houses, old wells, olive groves and, throughout the village on this spring day, beautiful camellias in flower.

Just one of many camelie in bloom on my visit to Sant'Andrea di Compito — Just one of many *camelie* in bloom on my visit to Sant'Andrea di Compito

Camellias are not native to Italy; they were brought from the orient by Italian trader/merchants in the 1800s. In the time since, they have thrived and become one of the best loved blossoms in the area around Lucca - so much so that each year, on weekends from mid-March to early April, there is the Antiche Camelie della Lucchesia event. During these weeks camellias in bloom can be seen not only in the village of Sant’Andrea di Compito but also in the gardens of the spectacular villas that lie north of Lucca (best known are Villa Torrigiani, Villa Mansi, and Villa Reale). What a great excuse for peeking into these beautiful gardens and villages!

Camellia come in many varieties. Best known are the ornamental ones with their delicate flowers in pinks, whites, reds. During the festival there is a beautiful display of cut flowers in a variety of colors in the cultural center in Sant’Andrea di Compito (camellia bushes are also sold there) along with information on the history of camellias in Italy and Europe.

A mapped walking route guides visitors through the village and describes the important buildings, sights, and some history. Along the way camellias can be seen in gardens large and small, along the stone walls of walkways, and beside many streets. There are also art exhibits, churches to visit, the signal tower to climb (for great views over the plains of Lucca) and a whole village to discover.

The Antica Chiusa Borrini, where a species of camellia is cultivated for the production of tea

In addition to ornamental varieties, the camellia family of plants is also used to make tea - white, green, oolong, and black. In the Antica Chiusa Borrini, a walled enclosed area where tea-producing camellias are raised along with flowering species, we learned about the cultivation of tea in Italy and how various types of tea are grown and processed and about the use of camellia oil in skin and hair products. The Borrini family was among the early collectors of these beautiful flowers and, in 1990, a Borrini descendant began the cultivation of tea here. Fascinating!

Camellia bushes in the Antica Chiusa Borrini

Waking back down the hill, we came across a small outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired oven and an old stove. The kitchen shed sat on a corner across from a house and next to an olive grove. The owner was busy trimming olive branches, and his wife came over when she saw us and explained how they use their outdoor kitchen. On Wednesdays, they bake cakes in the wood-fired oven (which they also use for pizza). The stove, which is also wood-fired and has a large grill rather than burners, is used for toasting bread for bruschetta and simmering sauces. Meeting friendly locals who enjoy sharing their stories, and being able to understand when they speak to me in Italian, opens the door to so many unique and interesting experiences. For me, this is travel at its most rewarding!

This little village is worth a visit at any time, but is especially beautiful when the flowers are in bloom.

A roadside shrine in Sant'Andrea di Compito

-post by JMB