TUTTI I LUNEDI’, MARTEDI’ E MERCOLEDI’ DEL MESE /EVERY MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
SPECIAL CONCERTS
“PUCCINI AND MOZART”
(always with different performers and programmes)
TUTTI I GIOVEDI’ DEL MESE – EVERY THRUSDAY OF THE MONTH
UNA NOTTE ALL’OPERA/A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Arie e duetti dal repertorio lirico di Puccini, Verdi, Leoncavallo, Donietti, Mascagni ed altri/arias and duets from the Italian operatic repertoire
TUTTI I VENERDI’ DEL MESE – EVERY FRIDAY OF THE MONTH
MOZART & PUCCINI
Arie e duetti da/arias and duets from LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, COSI’ FAN TUTTE, DON GIOVANNI, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, LA BOHEME, TOSCA
TUTTI I SABATO DEL MESE – EVERY SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
UNA NOTTE ALL’OPERA/A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Arie e duetti dal repertorio lirico di Puccini, Verdi, Leoncavallo, Donietti, Mascagni ed altri/arias and duets from the Italian operatic repertoire
TUTTE LE DOMENICHE DEL MESE – EVERY SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
PUCCINI E LA CANZONE TRADIZIONALE NAPOLETANA – PUCCINI & THE NEAPOLITAN TRADITIONAL SONGS
Lastra a Signa
Old and ancient, Lastra a Signa in Tuscany derives its name from the Lastra dei Gangalandi family who held the fiefdom. But its history goes back to the year 1000 when the Cadolingi di Fucecchio lords held Lastra a Signa under their rule. Lastra a Signa is positioned at a strategic point right in the middle of the Arno Valley. Having access to the sea, Lastra became a focal port for Florence and Pisa. The city center stands on the foundations of the fortifications built on Mount Cascioli and Mount Orlando. Lastra defended itself against continuous sieges against Florence and Pisa. In 1377, the town of Lastra was encircled with town walls and a crenallated tower.
Enclosed by its medieval walls and the gates of Pisane and Bacchio, the Saint Mary Church built in 1404 is in the middle of Lastra. The lovely works of art are still preserved in the church displaying a painting by Francesco Conti named “Saint Rocco in Glory” and another painting portraying “Our Lady”, that dates back to the 14th century. You can also find a memorable work that portrays Podestà’s Tabernacle with a fresco dating back to the 16th century with “Our Lady with the Child between the Saints John Baptist and Francis”. The Praetorian Palace in Lastra a Signa still has the emblems of the Podestàs on the walls. The breathtaking Villa di Bellosguardo or the villa with a beautiful view in Lastra was owned by the famous tenor Enrico Caruso. The lovely Renaissance Villa Bellosguardo was earlier owned by the Marquises Pucci and was renowned for its fabulous architecture. As you enter its elegant doorway, you will find beautiful rooms with soaring vaulted ceilings, grand staircases, frescoed friezes and deep pink velvet upholstered furniture. Ornate in structure with rich and varied architecture, the gorgeous Ballroom leads to the refreshing Orangerie that is striking with fantastic views. Historical and artistic, Lastra a Signa is famous for its ancient churches, villas and country homes of the nobles of the Middle Ages and a retreat of the rich and the famous through the Renaissance period.
Lastra a Signa opens out her beautiful countryside with the stunning colors of Tuscany. As the eye traverses the rich scenery, the famous Villa Pandolfini comes into view with its lush private forests. This beautiful castle dates back to the 1200s and was built by the Medicis for their family and friends who loved to hunt. Later, the Pandolfini family owned this lovely villa and also another historical one called ‘Le Torre’ that was a walled castle from the 1300s. Agnolo di Filippo, who was a great friend of Cosimo de Medici, lived at Villa Pandolfini for 12 years. It was here that he wrote his historical dialogues on the governing of the family. He died in 1446 at the age of 86. In 1434, Filippo’s nephew renovated the villa with fabulous architecture with the date, 1488, engraved on its wall that portrays the time of the completion of the renovation.
Created with stunning architecture with a linear concept, the harmony and space have been balanced to please the eye and deliver an aesthetic sense. The famous architect, Benedetto da Rovezzano executed the renovation with a keen eye for detail displaying beautiful carved windows, a lovely loggia, excellent stonework and free flowing lines. The Villa has been host to several personalities including Napoleon, King Carlo VIII of France and King Charles VIII of France.
The early 1800s saw the Pandolfini family selling their antique villa to the Samminiatelli family. They in turn sold the villa to the De Prat family who had returned after their exile from France following the Revolution. The estate ranges over a huge area of private forests, vineyards and olive groves. Tranquil, stunning and spacious, the villa is just 10 minutes away from Florence. The Villa showcases antiques, frescoed ceilings, a lovely loggia and an amazing Renaissance garden. With elegance and an air of mystery surrounding the Villa, inviting paths lead to beautiful walks, an outdoor dining area and a tranquil ambience. The Villa Pandolfini is vantage starting point for great excursions into the heart of Tuscany. The estate produces extra virgin olive oil and typical Chianti wine under detailed and careful supervision.
The Villa Pandolfini basks under the Tuscan sun and is adorned with frescoes, mirrors with gold gilt, terracotta floors and elegant columns carved in stone. Decorated beautifully, the rooms are bedecked with silk curtains, ornate fireplaces and a beautiful antique crystal chandelier. The Villa was originally built as a hunting lodge for nobles of bygone days and is a fabulous retreat just a few miles from Florence. The gallery kitchen is a work of wonder with its enormous fireplace and an old marble sink. The Villa Pandolfini is a work of art, a picturesque getaway and enhances lifestyles with a rich and royal air.
Tuscan villages: San Gennaro
The village of San Gennaro is a settlement on the ridge of the boundary with the valley of Pescia di Collodi and, according to martyrologies of just after the time of San Frediano (A. Mazzarosa, 1933) in dates back to the 6th century. Its foundation was perhaps due to a Neapolitan community that had emigrated here after the huge eruption of Vesuvius in 512, a hypotesis which is also borne out by the fact that there was a street in the village called Gragnano and another near Naples.
The ancient village of San Gennaro has a particular town layout which “pivots” around the parish church and above which the town layout consists of a series of villas standing next to each other and connected by enclosure walls, parks and family oratories. Called “Il Castello”, this is the oldest part of village and the richiest of history, and from here there is a splendid view of the lucca plain.
The village below the church is composed of about one hundred buildings built in series and all with similar characters (the size of the buildings is determined by the lenght of the wooden beams), with living quarters on the upper florr and shops on the ground floor.
the majority of the houses probably date back the the 16th century, but on many of them the date chiselled into the portal is 1746, the year in which the reorganisation of the town and buildings took place, which also led to the removal of the outside stairs.
Although the Municipality of san gennaro had been established and had its own statue since the 12th century, the village did not have a place where meeting could be held and they took place in the parish church.
It was for this reason that in 16000 a town hall was built in the area below the church.
Next to the church is the Boccella building, an architectural complex that is now being restored for use as Museum of Oil and Wine, with a wine shop and tasting room, a meeting room and areas especially equipped for top quality tourist accomodation. This is also where the head office of the Fondazione Palazzo Boccella will be situated and the entire complex will be run by a consortium of public bodies and private producers and entrepreneurs.
The Montechiari hill
The Montechiari hill is the highest point in the municipal territory of Montecarlo, situated on a beautiful tuscan hill(186,8 m a.s.l.). The fortified village that once stood here, with a gate, moat and bridge, was part of the defence system for the entire ridge of the hills. There was also a seven-metre high tower with a bell that rang out from the top of it.
The village was set alight by the inhabitants in December 1429 to prevent it from falling into the hands of their Florentine enemy. Today, the hillside is covered with the vineyards of the farm of the same name.
Quality of life in Lucca.
In the province of Lucca, as in the rest of Tuscany as a whole, people recognise, and have, a good quality of life both for those who invest and work in the teritory as well as those who simply whish to spend some time here in the name of culture, countryside, sea and as a means of visiting other important places in Tuscany.
The province of Lucca occupied 31st position in the national table for quality of life, taking into account indicators such as the way of life, work and business, services and the environment, the population and leisure time.
The families of Lucca have an average disposable income, taken as the sum of the active resources which each family sets aside for the acquisition of goods and servis and for saving, which puts them under the regional average (6th place among the provinces of Tuscany), even if close to the national average, which is strongly penalised by the income of the families from the South of Italy.
Compared with this the average assets of the families of Lucca i.e. the total of real assets (houses, land) and financial assets (financial and property investments), is in second place in the regional classification behind Siena. 63% of these assets are represented by property and 37% by investments and other financial assets.
The overview of the affluence of our province sees a quite low level of income but with quite high values of assets.
This aspect of the assets is probably explained by the historic propensity of lucca families to save manoey and to invest in property, while the income aspect is ascribable, at least in part, to the lack in the province of large employment structures with medium -high wages.
