Villas & historic houses

Lucca’s villas are an indispensable element of the hillside landscape of the Piana di Lucca. It is the combination of these historic residences, the landscape of vineyards and olive groves that surround them, the small, winding roads lined with high dry-stone walls that run up the hills, the straight, long tree-lined avenues that end on the facades like theatrical scenes, that makes this ensemble a fascinating and unforgettable journey.

The gardens, are veritable marvel, designed to amaze and entertain aristocratic guests with collections of exotic plants and exuberant blooms, wild woods and geometric gardens, fountains and water features, allegorical statues and masks, large fishponds, artificial grottos, nymphaea, outdoor theaters carved in boxwood and yew and all kinds of pleasantries that would make aristocratic days in the country pleasant.

Each with its own particular character, a tour to visit the best-known ones is a must for a stay in the Piana di Lucca; the familiar Villa Bernardini handed down from father to son since the 16th century; the aristocratic Villa Torrigiani heralded by an avenue of centuries-old cypress trees and a rare testimony, with its 17th-century furnishings of the refined art of Lucca’s weavers; the legendary Villa Mansi that was the elegant home of the beautiful Lucida, in life a noble and refined woman, now a restless ghost roaming the garden paths; Villa Reale which hosted the court of Princess Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi in the 19th century: an articulated park with the famous water features and greenery, a large nymphaeum decorated with small river stones and dark glass, an avenue of camellias accompanying small springs , small lakes in the middle of the woods, the fishpond, hundreds of lemon trees, a music gazebo , and a panoramic mound… . And then again, the fine collection of native and exotic trees and shrub species at Villa Grabau, and behind yet another gate yet another gate, Villa Oliva, a Renaissance design, with volumes and Planes characterizing the architecture of the building and the spaces around it.

There are several hundred villas that, with small medieval parish churches, distinguish the hills of Lucca and Monte Pisano. Here, the ever-present camellias are absolute stars of the gardens in the Compitese area, the camellia grove of Sant’Andrea di Compito, the nursery of the camellia, the tea plant, and the festival held in spring on the occasion of the flowering.