Dating back to the third quarter of the 16th century, the villa of the Parensi family is a compact, quadrangular block. The almost flat front of the building includes a portico and a loggia above with three arches on Tuscan columns; both are covered by a vaulted roof. By comparing the current building with a fine 17th century drawing by Domenico Checchi, its is possible to see the changes that ahve been made and how the villa stood at the centre of a vast agricultural estate.
Outside the enclosure walls, the public oratory has maintained the 17th century form as drawn by Checchi, with square pilasters supporting the entablature and the gable, and with curved stone cornices that enanche the openings in the facade.
The garden below it is borderted by the lemon houses and the olive mill.
The villa passed from the Mansi family in 1791, when Camilla Parensi, the last descendent of the family, married Raffaele di Luigi Mansi.
Villa Grabau at San Pancrazio
Villa Grabau is one of the first forms of villa settlement in the hills north of Lucca. Recent research has shown how the villa owes its origins to the unification of severl properties carried out by the Diodati family from the 15th century. The information confirms that from this period the hills of Lucca were the subject of a series of land rearrangement operations, the use of the land, building work, expressions of new architectural layouts and new agricultural arrangements.
It is not yet known when the villa was transformed in the Reinaissnce style which is characterised by the portico in the facade, now closed in with glass. Important from the point of view of the landscape is the view which starts at the old Lucca road (now a country lane), follows the avenue leading to the park, crosses the villa and ends in the exedra of the garden behiand the villa. The transformation in neoclassical style, which took place at different times, is modelled on the nearby villa Principessa at Marlia.
The portico was closed in with large windows and dcorated internally with trompe l’oeil curtains. The park which is probably the same age as the villa, consists of several gardens. Its current form dates back to 1836 and the time when it was owned by the Cittadella family.
The botanical gardens extended along two sides of the central lawn and boasts a collection of plants from all parts of the world. Because of its rare exotic vegetation, the most extraordinary ection is the “English Garden”, dating back to the 19th century, where some majestic species can be admired. At the beginning of the 20th century some additions were carried out in the “Art Noveau” style which was popular at that time.
Along the west side of the villa, near the kitchens and stables, there is a small “Teatro di Verzura“, probably, inspired by the theatre at the nearby Villa Reale in Marlia; it was created during the 19th century with box hedges forming the wings of the stage; a spherical niche hides the prompt box. The entrance is guarded by two Renaissance lions in marble.
The garden behiand the villa, with the beautiful scenery of the hills in the background is a wide, semi-elliptical parterre, edged with tall hedges to form a green exedra with statues of Ceres, venus, Pomona and others.
The mosaics, made form rock crystals, quartz and tufa, cover the Matraia stone and white marble balustrade which separates the two levels. Shady paths connect the various areas of the park. Of particular interest is the large 17th-18th century lemon house, one of the most important and beautiful in the Lucchesia, which is still used to house the citrus plants during the winter.
Better known as the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, romantic Vinci holds the same magic as the rest of Tuscany. It takes just half an hour’s drive from Florence through the scenic SS 67 route towards Empoli that takes you right to Vinci. Visitors to Vinci would appreciate the town better if they park on the outskirts and explore this medieval village by foot. As one nears the town, a big wooden sculpture of the Vitruvian man welcomes you. The square overlooks the valley below and is steep with a fabulous panoramic view. Vinci’s mysterious origins date back to the Etruscans.
Spectacular as the town where the famous Leonardo da Vinci was born, the small hill town of Vinci has not changed much for the past 544 years. Picturesque stone houses still cling to the strong battlements of the castle. Built in the Middle Ages, the castle came under the rule of the Florentines in 1254. Located on the hilltop, the castle stood witness as many a battle raged between Florence and Pisa. But the enchantment and peace of Vinci is still retained and enjoyed by the 14,000 people living there today. The borough of Vinci is situated in the heart of Tuscany a few kilometres from Florence, close to Pisa, and an hour’s drive from Lucca and Siena.
As an important landmark in Vinci, the tall church bell tower can still be seen for miles. Surrounded by fertile farmland, the hillsides around Vince are lush with vineyards and olive groves that grow around in the lovely landscapes. Leonardo da Vinci’s presence can be felt everywhere adding to the mysterious charm of Vinci. The slopes that are seen above Vinci rise to the Mount Albano where Leonardo da Vinci loved to walk. Scenic and beautiful, silvery streaks of small mountain streams run down from the mountain past Vinci to the valley of the Arno River below. Inspired by what he saw around him, Leonardo’s enchanted childhood led him to explore and study the woods, natural life and streams of Vinci which he depicted in his sketches. Later as he grew, Leonardo reflected these scenes in his detailed life-like paintings of plants and wildflowers at the feet of the angel in The Annunciation and the rocky caves and pools of water surrounding the figures in The Virgin of the Rocks.
Another feature that has endeared Vinci as an immortal town is its curious castle that is known as “The Ship’s Castle” because of its unusual shape. This castle houses the fascinating Il Museo Leonardiano Di Vinci. Displaying Leonardo’s mechanical, scientific and engineering inventions, the museum showcases Leonardo’s work through models constructed according to the original dimensions. The museum evolves over two floors and has computers which enable the visitors to view video presentations, play interactive games and acquire more information. The important feature of the models is that it displays the transition of Leonardo’s sketches into reality that cover a range of domed buildings, cars and planes to underwater suits. There is also a library that has a complete collection of his observations and ideas.
The castle opens its ancient path to view the lovely medieval town of Vinci. Quite close to the museum, the church of Santa Croce echoes with the whisper of legends that the great Leonardo da Vinci was baptized in its hallowed premises. Though this lovely little church has been renovated several times it still retains its medieval charm. Vinci’s winding streets, alleyways and stairways are fascinating with a wonderful discovery round every corner. Vinci’s repertoire of restaurants and shops are not wide and varied but small and wonderful. Vinci’s cuisine and crafts are a delight to experience as well as its great extra virgin olive oil and the Chianti Putto Montalbano, the local wine of Vinci.
Just a few kilometers away, the main town of Anciamo stands where Leonardo was born. Timeless and unique, Vinci opens paths to visit and be inspired by the town of Montelupo Fiorenti that is close by and famous for its ceramic. The Frescobaldi Tower houses the Glass Museum in Montelupo. The ceramic studio of the famous artisan, Fratelli Taccini can be found in Sovigliana di Vinci that displays the talented heritage of the Taccini family. The ‘Il Cristo Croce Fisso’ was made of clay and wrought iron in 1995 by Taccini. Vinci holds the essence of romance and fascination that has brought countless visitors to its lovely village to linger and absorb the magic of mystery.
The boat building sector: fashion yacht in Viareggio
The boat building sector of the Versilia coast is, thanks to its centuries-old tradition, synonymous with quality and cutting edge technology.
The ship-building industry, with its five centuries of history, is in fact a major player on the world stage.
Thanks to the geographical layout of the Tuscan coast, with its numerous islands and the proximity to Corsica, sailing for commerce and fishing has developed since ancient times with the consequent creation for first rowing and then sailing boats, and finally motor boats. Over time the quality and reliability of these boats has reached an extremely high level.
From the 1960’s to the 1980’s, with the introduction of new materials such as fibre glass, carbon fibre, steel and aluminium, we have witnessed a real revolution, not only in the market but also in the philosophy of pleasure boat construction.
Mass production has increased and the standardization of accessories has allowed the production of boats at a more reasonable price and a consequently wider distribution of pleasure craft.
the Viareggio boat-building industry has meanwhile also maintained a production that targets the more demanding niche markets, using more expensive materials.
Today the Versilia area can boast an economy of great importance which includes, apart from the boat-building production of the large yards, also small craftsman business, created as a consequence of the decentralization of production towards tertiary companies which specialise in specif fields (electronic instrumentation, motors, furnishing, etc.)
Viareggio’s fame as home to skilled boat-builders has spread beyond Italy. In fact, 18% of the world’s luxury boats are produced there, with the presence of world-wide producers Azimut-Benetti, Rodriguez Group, Fipa Group, San Lorenzo, Perini Navi, compared with the 45% built in Italy, with a total of 7 out of the 20 producers world wide.
Tradition and high quality have led the production to distinguish itself in terms of style, elegance and high level of technology in the command and navigation systems, making the boats of Tuscany unbeatable for reliability, safety and interior design and furnishings.
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.
