Wandering in Lucca

The courtyard of Palazzo Santini, Lucca

 The time between the end of Carnevale and the beginning of April is pretty calm in Lucca – it’s as if everyone and everything is just holding their breath waiting for spring.  

There is one annual March event that is special - the celebration of the camellias blooming in and around Lucca.   This will soon be followed by wild poppies, wisteria, and roses.  I can hardly wait!

In Lucca, the historic center has been quiet, especially on weekdays.  This has given me plenty of time to wander about town. As I’ve walked. I’ve been thinking of the ways in which Lucca has changed over the years.  It was a much quieter place when I first visited back in 2012 – fewer cars, fewer tourists, just one general grocery store in the historic center.  Today Lucca is much busier and, during peak travel season, a definite tourist hot spot.

This wonderful little shop closed for good last year.

 An unwelcome change is the closure of some of the oldest shops and restaurants in town. 

One of my favorite small shops, Il Mercatino, home of delicious caprini (no, not small goats, but a mild marinated cheese log) closed last year.  It left a vacancy along Via San Paolino.

And now two more of Lucca’s iconic shops are closing.  One is the Ferramenta e Mesticheria Di Barsanti e Marlia, also on Via San Paolino.  This small hardware shop, in business since 1949, has one of the best windows in Lucca.  On display are all sorts of specialized knives and kitchen tools, including rolling pins designed for hand cutting pasta of various widths.  Inside are a variety of tools, pans, brass fittings, etc.  It is hard to imagine a stroll down Via San Paolino without stopping to look in the window and imagining just how one might use forbici da pecore (sheep scissors).

Ferramenta e Mesticheria Di Barsanti e Marlia

Polleria Volpi, closing after Easter

The most shocking one to me is the upcoming (just after Easter) closure of Polleria Volpi, the beloved “chicken shop”.  Run by sister butchers Caterina and Valentina, they have the best poultry in town.  And boy do those ladies know how to wield a cleaver!  They gave me my first lessons in how to order chicken parts in Italian, offered large roasting hens to stand in for Thanksgiving turkey, and taught me how to cook their little rolls of rabbit meat wrapped around lardo.  They also stock lots of food items and wonderful seasonal treats, like Christmas Panetone and Easter Colomba cakes in gorgeous tins by Dolce & Gabbana.  In business since 1973, it is hard for me to conceive of a future without a stop at the Polleria to do some shopping. That all three of these closures are on the same street, one that funnels lots of tourists into town, I have to wonder about the role that the many day trippers (who rarely buy anything) have on the ability of these unique places to remain viable.

Easter goodies in the window at Polleria Volpi

While thinking of these closures makes me sad, some of my wanderings around Lucca have been more inspiring.  In the past week I’ve wandered into some places that are outside of my everyday routes, marveling that Lucca still holds surprises for me.

First, I was directed to pass through the courtyard of Palazzo Santini (above), a detour made necessary by some work being done on a nearby street.  The 17th century palazzo now houses city offices. The courtyard connects to two streets, Via del Moro and Via Cesare Battisti. It is filled with bikes and people coming and going from the offices these days, but has remnants of its former life as home to the wealthy Santini family.  The columns support broad arches, old worn doors lead to unknown places, and the vaulted ceilings have faded frescoes.  It made for a very pleasant detour.

Chapel of Madonna del Sasso, in the church of Sant’Agostino

On one of my wanders, I passed by the church of Sant’Agostino, built in the 1300s right up against a section of the ancient Roman theater.  I had never been inside but the nun standing in front of the church, one of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit who maintain the church, invited me to enter.  The church seems very plain at first glance, but there is a wonderful side chapel, The Chapel of the Madonna del Sasso, off to the right. After admiring the altar, paintings, and statues look for the grate in the floor – legend has it that it connects straight to hell.   Ornate and frescoed, the chapel is a surprise in the otherwise plain interior. 

Large displays around the church explain the founding of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit (Suore Oblate dello Santo Spirito) by Elena Guerra in 1959.  Don’t be surprised to find her body below the main altar in a glass sarcophagus. 

The painted double ceiling of Santa Caterina

My last wander for the week took me to the tiny Church of Santa Caterina. Once the chapel for workers at the now shuttered tobacco factory, it is rarely open. Restored several years ago by FAI (Fondo per L’Ambiente Italiano, an Italian organization which restores and cares for historic properties), it was opened this past weekend for a special FAI event.  With its beautifully frescoed and decorated interior it is a jewel box of a space.  Looking up at the frescoed ceiling, the illusion of great depth is due to an oculus that opens to the even higher painted second ceiling.   

Such amazing gifts a quiet weekend in Lucca brings ! 

Welcome Back Bar del Sole

Lucca’s centro storico is small, completely encircled by Renaissance era walls.  When I first arrived as a visitor, long before I moved here, I thought of the center as one wonderful neighborhood.  No place within the walls was more than a short walk away.  Compared to the sprawl of Albuquerque, that certainly made Lucca feel like a single neighborhood.

 But as I spent more time here, I realized that, even though the walls that encircle the historic center are only about 2.5 miles around, Lucca is much more than a single neighborhood. In fact, there are several small neighborhoods contained within the walls, each with its own unique character.  A move of a few blocks in any direction is likely to mean a change in the local bar, butcher, greengrocer, and pharmacy.  The closure of any one of these neighborhood places has a big impact on local residents.

The original Bar del Sole, on the perimeter of the Old Mercato, a neighborhood institution in this part of Lucca

Take for example the neighborhood around Via Mordini, very near to the Old Mercato building in Piazza del Carmine. There have been just a few shops operating on the perimeter of the building, several of which opened into the big empty space of the former Mercato. For many years the Mercato building existed in restoration limbo. These shops, which included a bar, a butcher, a coffee & chocolate shop, and two greengrocers, were very important neighborhood places.

The Bar del Sole, which for nearly two decades has anchored the corner of the Old Mercato building, was the bar in this neighborhood - the one where you were likely to run into the same patrons on a regular basis, where you knew the owners, Monica and Ernesto, and they knew you too.  A place that always felt comfortable and welcoming.  A great place for a morning coffee, to sit and read the newspaper, to talk with neighbors.  Just as good in the afternoons too for a spritz or glass of wine.

Ernesto (on the left) at the reopening of Bar del Sole. You might just recognize the guy on the right too - that’s Jim Corcoran, one of the organizers of English Mondays. A big thanks to Ilene Blessing Modica for this photo.

The bar also played host for a long time to English Mondays, a social group for Italians wanting to practice English and for English speaking ex-pats. The location of Bar del Sole, opening into the large unrestored Mercato, was perfect for this large group.

But, in a very controversial turn of events, when restoration began on the Old Mercato building most of the existing businesses were forced to relocate. There was very little notice given nor help in finding new places to do business.  Imagine the uproar this caused in the neighborhood.  Imagine the terrible impact on the businesses and the people whose livelihood was threatened. The period of negotiation, legal action, reprieve, and then final closure of the bar was prolonged and stressful.  Earlier this spring the bar closed for good at the Old Mercato location. 

 But – good news – Bar del Sole has found a new location! The new space is just down the street at Via Mordini 13, a few steps away from the old location. 

Work in Progress on the new location for Bar del Sole!

And on June 15th they welcomed the neighbors back with a grand reopening celebration.  The number of people who turned out for the reopening, filling the bar and spilling out to the street, demonstrated how important the bar is to the neighborhood and how much the community supports Monica and Ernesto. 

The Prosecco flowed at the reopening celebration for Bar del Sole

The new location is bright and cheerful, as were the smiles on the faces of the owners and staff.  After the difficulties of the past year, and months of not knowing how (or if) they would be able to reopen, what a joy it was to celebrate with them.

Whether you are living in Lucca or just here for a visit, I hope you will stop in for a coffee or an aperitivo to support Monica and Ernesto in their new location. 

We are all so glad to welcome them back!

A Fall Day in Lucca

Fall is my favorite time of year whether I’m in the United States or in Italy. I love the changing leaves, the autumn scents (roasting green chile in New Mexico, chestnuts in Italy), the colorful gourds and pumpkins, and the feel of crisp air on my face. But to spend fall in Lucca - now that is seasonal bliss.

I spent a good part of this summer outside of Italy, returning in mid-September. With a two week quarantine on arrival, I watched from my window as the last days of summer slipped away and fall crept in. What a relief to finish those two confined weeks and step out into an Italian autumn.

Looking down from the walls into the city of Lucca

Fall began with a spell of stormy weather marked by cloudy skies, rolling thunder, falling tree branches, and periods of heavy rain. Everyone tried to take advantage of breaks in the storms to get outside, run errands, stop for an outdoor coffee, and go for walks. That’s exactly what my Saturday consisted of this past weekend. The best part of the day was a mid-afternoon walk along le mura (the walls that enclose the historic city center). It took place under dramatic skies and a mist in the air that almost, but not quite, required an ombrello (umbrella).

Storm clouds over Piazza Santa Maria, Lucca

The city walls are lined with trees which, at this time of year, make a colorful statement. Looking up into the branches is an artist’s palette of color. Looking down, the falling leaves cover the ground in shades of gold and yellow. Chestnuts fall and crunch under foot, their spiny outer shells and dark brown nuts symbolizing the season.

A tree trunk covered in moss and “Venus’s belly button”

Many of the trees along the walls are covered in moss (something I certainly don’t see in arid New Mexico).

This year, for the first time, I’ve noticed another plant growing through the moss on one of the trees - delicate stalks with small, round, green tops. I’m told they are called Venus’s Belly Button (officially Cotyledon Umbilicus). An internet search tells me they are used in homeopathic medicine. Fascinating!

As my walk around the walls continued, each bend in the path brought a different view of the increasingly dark and cloudy sky. It was an if an artist were painting individual scenes with expert use of light and dark against trees and sky. If only I could paint! Instead, I pulled out my camera in an attempt to capture the beauty of the day.

I could not have asked for a more perfect autumn afternoon or a more beautiful setting in which to enjoy it. I arrived home just as the mist turned into rain. Perfect timing, perfect fall day.

A storm brewing on an October afternoon in Lucca

Insalata - Salad, Italian Style

Panzanella Salad, Osteria Cantine Bernardini, Lucca

Salads in Italy come in many varieties, including simple insalata verde (green salad, just a big bowl of lettuce), insalata mista (mixed salad of lettuce, carrots, tomato, perhaps some fennel), and meal-size insalatone (big salads filled with cheeses, meats, seafood, fruits, nuts). There are also delicious specialty salads such as caprese (tomato, fresh mozzarella with basil), panzanella (tomato, cucumber, red onion, basil and crumbled bread with olive oil and vinegar), and carciofi (fresh shaved artichokes with Parmesan and olive oil). All are delicious, especially when made with local fresh ingredients and eaten somewhere in Italy!

I enjoy each of these types of salads but, secondo me (in my opinion), the absolute best salad in Italy is an insalata di bresaola. Bresaola is not well known in the U.S. (at least not outside of cities with big Italian communities like Boston, New York, and San Francisco), especially compared to the more familiar Italian salumi (cold cut) products like prosciutto, salami, and mortadella. I first tasted bresaola on a trip to Rome many years ago and it's always one of the first things I want to eat when I return to Italy. And, because it is low-fat and low-carb, it is one Italian food that I never feel guilty about eating. 

Thinly sliced bresaola, with just a hint of marbeling.  

Bresaola is a beef cold cut, made from what we in the U.S. would call the top round cut. It is a specialty of the Valtellina, an alpine valley in northern Italy. Like prosciutto, bresaola is produced through a process of salting and drying. But, unlike prosciutto, the beef is trimmed of all visible fat before being rubbed with a salt and spice mixture. Also, the aging process is shorter, usually two to three months. The final product is deep red in color, soft (never leathery), delicate in texture, and fragrant. It's served very thinly sliced and is so very delicious. 

Bresaola is typically served as an antipasto, often as a salad with peppery arugula (but also good on crisp lettuce). It is topped with shaved Parmesan and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. I can easily make a  meal out of this salad, especially if I have some focaccia on the side. 

Bresaola filled with ricotta and mint ( Lucca Italian School, Speak and Cook Italian class) 

There are other ways to use bresaola as well. In a cooking class (at Lucca Italian School), I learned to fix it as an antipasto in which round slices were topped with a mixture of fresh ricotta mixed with chopped mint, folded over into half moon shapes, and drizzled with thick balsamic glaze. Heavenly!  Bresaola also goes well with a variety of meats and cheeses on an antipasto platter and makes a great panini (sandwich) on salty focaccia with some tomato and a soft cheese. Or just pick up a slice and eat it in your hand as a quick snack. It's hard for me to find at home, so I always eat plenty of it while I'm in Italy.

-post by JMB

Contacts:  

Lucca Italian School     Via dei Bacchettoni 25, 55100 Lucca, Italy.            Lucca Italian School.com

Santa Cristina Enoteca.  Via XX Settembre 10, 55100 Lucca, Italy   Santacristina.enoteca@gmail.com

Osteria Cantine Bernardini Via del Suffragio 7,  55100. Lucca, Italy.  Cantinebernardini.com

Il Bernino Restaurant and Cafe

It seems as though with every stay in Lucca I discover a new restaurant to add to my list of favorites. On my most recent trip my discovery was Il Bernino, a small restaurant and cafe with a wide variety of delicious offerings. I wanted to try it because one of the new owners is a friend and also because I'd heard rave reviews from my Lucca Italian School classmates.

I kept returning to Il Bernino because the food is so good, the service friendly, and the prices reasonable. The setting is also beautiful. It's clear that the chef and owners care about the quality of the food - with an eye to using fresh local products and making seasonal changes to the menu.

The pretty counter is a perfect place to sip your espresso Italian style, standing at the bar.

An after lunch macchiato - these cups made me smile!

I first stopped in late one morning for a quick cappuccino, served Italian style, standing at the bar. It was a good espresso with just the right amount of steamed milk - a perfect mid-morning pick-me-up. An after lunch macchiato was also tasty on another day! 

The panini (sandwiches) in the display case looked so good that I grabbed one "da porta via" (to go) for an impromptu picnic on the city walls. It was simple but oh so tasty - a good prosciutto and a bit of cheese on a fabulous olive-studded filone (a long thin baguette). A great picnic lunch.

My next visit was for pranzo (lunch) with a friend (Judy, whom you know as the co-writer of this blog). We both ordered the same thing - spaghetti con vongole e limone (spaghetti with clams and lemon). This was a unique presentation in that the clams were chopped (as opposed to served in the shells) and the dish was topped with fragrant lemon zest. It was delicate and delicious - a dish I can't wait to have again and will certainly crave when I return home to New Mexico.

Next up (remember, I was in Lucca for almost two months) was another lunch, this time a Caesar salad with a juicy, perfectly grilled chicken breast on top. Grilled chicken is not a common dish here in Lucca, so finding this on the menu was a real treat. It was artfully arranged, with lettuce, radicchio, and small tomatoes  lightly topped with the chicken and a flavorful dressing. Another wonderful meal.

Il Bernino is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (closed Mondays). It's also a great spot for an aperitivo. There is a pretty outdoor seating area. For more formal dining, or on chilly days, head inside and up the stairs to the inviting dining room with it's attractive art and soft music.

Il Bernino is situated at the corner of Via Fillungo and Via Mordini. The outdoor seating is just a bit off busy Via Fillungo - close enough to watch the activity on what is Lucca's "Main Street" but at enough of a distance to feel quiet and relaxed.

Add this wonderful little place to my list of favorites in Lucca!

-post by JMB

The pretty upstairs dining room.

Contact information:  Il Bernino Via Filungo 86, Lucca.