La Specola
The construction of La Specola, of which there are still numerous plans, was begun by the architect, Lorenzo Nottolini, in 1819 at the request of Maria Luisa of Bourbon who wished to make the park of Villa di Marlia, below into an astronomy observatory dedicated to Urania, but the work was never completed.
The hillside chosen for its construction was and ideal point for observing the sky, and its splendid panoramic position above the plain was free from surrounding buildings and gave 360° view of the horizon.
Villa Oliva San Pancrazio – Lucca
The villa features an imposing portico with five arches and it is said to have been built in the 16th century by the celebrated architect,, Matteo Civitali. It was ordered by Ludovico Buonvisi, a leading member of one of the most important Lucca families, but the first definite information there is of its existence is found in a 17th century land map.
The front, more sober facade is characterised by the uniform position of the windows. The farm building, the stables, the building next to the villa and the side gate in the west part of the enclosure, date back to the end of the 1600s and the beginning of the 1700s. On the opposite east side there is an oratory and more farm buildings.
The late Renaissance style of the park is interesting because of the way the area is organised, the presence of numerous architectural and furnishing elements and the composition of the garden areas. It also features and interesting system of fountains which includes a fountain with a winged Siren.
A Nymphaeum, also called “the grotta” is situated in front of a high, semicircle of evergreen hedges and marks the end of the garden behind the villa; it faces a large lawn which can be admired from the portico.
The park to the south of the villa is on three levels; the middle level corresponds to the central path and here there is a fountain, known as the waterfall, complete with terracotta bas-reliefs and statues. The gates in the enclosure wall are interesting because of their elaborate construction and decoration.
The “Quercione”
This fine example of Quercus pubescens, the Downy Oak or Pubescent Oak, is said to be approximately five centuries old, and it is recordered in the catalogue of the Alberi Monumentali d’Italia. Its trunk is about four metres in circumference and over fourteen metres tall, its open network of branches spreads out to about thirty metres to give it an extremely interesting and aesthetically beautiful shape.
A legend explains why its branches spread horizontally: it is said that the witches of the area used to gather here, and it was their weight that made the branches spread.
Massaciuccoli, the Roman archaeological findings and the church of San Lorenzo.
According to the archaeological findings from the time of the Roman Empire, a large “pagus” and a “mansio” must have been situated here.
The most interesting historical buildings in Massaciuccoli are the villas and baths, which were built perhaps in the time of the Emperor Trajan.
The villa, which was discovered in 1932, has two beautiful mosaic floors: the larger depicts a scene with four sea monsters, two horses and two dolphin around a central opening from which water gushed and above which there was a bronze statue (now in Florence).
Immersed in a dense olive grove, the remains of the baths include a “calidarium” with two baths, a “sudarium” with three rows of seats covered whit white marble, the cells used as changing rooms, and the flooring in some of the adjoining rooms.
Because of the grandeur of the building, it is unlikely that the baths were part of a private villa, but rather public baths built in a charming holiday locality.
The Church of San Lorenzo is situated in a beautiful panoramic position immediatly above the baths. It certainly existed in the 9th century, but in the 5th century it may have been a small oratory. The plagues of the 1300s, the lake taht had become a marshland, and malaria led to the depopulation of the area and the decline of Massaciuccoli. As a consequence, the church was reduced to one nave:
the aisle on the left became the priest’s house.
Its current layout is a result of renovation and enlargement carried out in 1870 and 1909.
The aqueduct is the great work of architect Lorenzo Nottolini, and it has made its name known to everyone.
It can be seen from the main roads that cross the plain to the east and from the Firenze-Mare motorway near Lucca. It is permanent feature of the views from the hills.
The construction of the aqueduct was ordered by Maria Luisa of Bourbon on 7th october 1822, and the work continued without interuption until 1828. The area of the springs was entirely remodelled and eighteen springs were tapped.
The work also involved the valleys of the Rio di San Quirico and the Rio della Valle, with excavations, the construction of embankments, containment walls, hard shoulders and weirs; the beds of the two rivers were surfaced to create water routes; bridges with steps leading up to them were built to join the two banks of the rivers; temple like entrances to the tunnels were huge water filters and is known as the “wasps nest”; pipelines were also laid inderground and a control road was built as far as the top tank; a house for the “spring attendant” was also built.
A control road was also built and it runs alongside the aqueduct arches from the spring area to the centre of Lucca.
