Tag: Tours

Tuscan villages

San Martino in Colle

San Martino in Colle
Tradition has it that this high hill which looks out over the district of pescia and part of the plain of Lucca, was the site of a fortress built by Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli, Lord of Lucca, to keep a lookout for threats from the Guelphs of Florence.
This small rural settlement and the little church of San Martino were built on the ruins of that foretification.
The church of San martino in Colle was founded in the 11th century and in the 19th century it was enlarged and renovated. In 1810 two altars were placed in the new transept; these and the very fine Natività della Vergine on one of the altars came from the church of San Pietro Maggiore, which was demolished to make way for piazza Napoleone in the old-town centre of Lucca.

Tuscany winery tour

Tuscan cellar
Tuscan cellar

Colline Lucchesi wines
The Denominazione di Origine Controllata “Colline Lucchesi” white and red wines also boast an ancient history and a tradition of quality; their protection was one of the first to be guaranteed by a presidential decree daated 1968 and, with some subsequent modifications, the regulations governing the production of wines were brought into force by the ministerial decree of 8 July 1997.
The area of production extends from the municipalities of Lucca, Capannori and Porcari and it includes various areas and entire communities sucha as Castagnori, Forci, Pieve Santo Stefano, Mutigliano, Cappella, the area west of the Morianese, San Pancrazio, Matraia, Valgiano, San Colombano, Segromigno in Monte, Camigliano, Tofori, San Pietro a marcigliano, San Gennaro and Gragnano.
The Collin e Lucchesi red and white wines enjoy a particularly excellent climate and habitat, a variety of composition and  an enological tradition that is based on the history and culture of the great Lucchese families. A significant example of this civilisation is the large fresco in the Buonvisi villa at Forci depicting the “Triumph of Bacchus” with the villa itself in the background, recognisable by the large portico facin g the valley.
But already in 1382 a contemporary of Dante’s, Antonio di Pace degli Orsi, described it as being a “tasty wine” and added: “the more I drink it, the more I want to drink it”.

Don’t forget the appointment with event “Vini della costa Toscana” on 8th and 9th may.

Informations on: www.grandicru.it

Tuscan landscapes

Tuscan hills

The olive and the hills
The Tuscan landscape, and the hills around Lucca In particular, is identified to a large extent by the presence of the olive tree.
Thousands of the years olde, these dignified trees with their generous foliage of silvery leaves that flutter in the slightest breeze, provide a pleasant contrast with the briallant greens of the mown terraces in the springtime, or with the dry, yellowish grass in the summer.
The characteristic contortions and irregularities given by yearly pruning the “topponature” and cleaning, give their grey trunks unpredictable shapes and forms.
The various operations that are regularly carried out, change, imperceptibly renew and perpetuate the value of human intervetion and at times the tree is given a form and appearance that is statuesque.
The olive has always been a symbol of peace and the fertility of the earth; it is an axample of the deep bond between man and the natural world, it is a sign of vitality and renewal. Its cultivation represents on of the major resources of the tuscan country and, together with the typical terraced slopes, it is a characteristic of the entire hill area.
It is said that the Greeks brought the olive to these slopes with their scant coverage of “humus”, but its wide diffusion is mainly linked to the hillside’s considerable transformation at the hands of Lucchese merchants. Investiments and the spread of cultivations continued until the beginning of the 20th century, but there has been a recovery in recent years and, as mentioned above, new interests.

The Accademia dei Rassicurati Theatre

Rassicurati Theatre in Montecarlo

The Accademia dei Rassicurati Theatre now belongs to the municipality and dates back to 1795; it was the work of the Florentine architect Antonio Capretti. Its presence could go completely unnoticed, situated as it is in the row of buildings on the block between via Cairoli and Via Carmignani.
It is entered through two small doors numbered 14 and 16 on via Carmignani and it consists of a small elliptical theatre surrounded by a double tier of 22 boxes in addition to four stage boxes and gallery; it has all the characteristics in miniature of an Opera House of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The tempera decorations of the outside of the boxes and the vaulted ceiling are charming, but very much retouched and in need of further work.

Tuscan towns

Miglianello

Miglianello
Miglianello is a little village  immersed in the terraces of olive groves that cover the entire hillside.
The particular layout of the buildingis due to the fact that originally it was an Olivetan Monastery.
In the 18th century, the building was bought by the Papanti family. The complex has maintained the ancient characteristics of the original building; all that is left of the monastery is the olive mill and storerooms.
Inside there is a hall and two rooms with walls papered with prints of a wide variety of bird species: a “History of birds” of 1768 dedicated to grand duke Pietro Leopoldo, and of great interest to natural sciences scholars. Beside the villa there is a gothic-style church which may have been private chapel, built during the last century.