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.
The Maritime Museum of Viareggio
In the restored premises of the old Viareggio fish market, built in 1933, there is a permanent exhibition which illustrates the origins and identity of the Versilia area: the Maritime Museum. The museum was first thought of long ago in 1920 by the “Centenary Committee of Viareggio Town” but it was the League of Master Carpenters and Caulkers which, forty years later, and the end the 1960’s, gathered the first exhibits to shows in a the future museum. The museum shows the history and techniques linked to boat building and navigation, with particular attention to the activity which has historically developed in Viareggio, thus taking of the role of “a place of memory” for the conservation, knowledge and vauling of the culture, thanks to the gathering together of exhibits which testify to the maritime hearitage of Viareggio, documenting the links of works, ingenuity and pain between Viareggio and the sea.
The heritage amounts to more than a thousand pieces subdivided into sections: the shipyards and the craftsmanship of the master carpenters and caulkers, the onboard fittings and nautical instruments, the claw divers, the historic documents and artistic testaments, the model of ships, the people of the sea, the splendour and fading of the sail era.
Also of interest is the record of human underwater adventure, such as the claw divers, famous recovery ships. In the 1930’s the claw divers caught the attention and interest of the whole world after the recovery of the gold and silver from the wreck of the Egypt, the English transatlantic ship sunk in the English Channel in 1922. Undertaking a recovery at that time was judged to be impossible. This feat in the 1930’s is unequalled even today, for deep sea recovery.
Among the most valuable exhibits is the telescope belonging to Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the great romantic poets, whose ship, which left on the 8th July 1822 from Livorno bound for San Terenzo, was wrecked in a violent storm after just a few hours into its voyage. The body of Shelley was whashed up on the beach of Viareggio in front of the Villa of Paolina Bonaparte. On the 10th September 1822 his ship was also recovered, sunk around 15 miles off the Viareggio coast, along with part of its cargo: a trunk, various bottles, books and various items for the journey, among which was his telescope. Apart from ships in bottles and other maritime objects, the museum also has a strong virtual component, the best parts of which are films, photos, and a telecommunications archive.
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.
“A look into the invisible”
A major exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi tells the story of Giorgio De Chirico’s extraordinary artistic career and the dual impact that this painting had on modern art and painters such as Carrà and Morandi, or Max Ernst, Magritte and Balthus.
One hundred works from exclusive private collections and some of the most important museums in the world allow the visitor to explore the “Copernican Revolution” that De Chirico brought to 20th century art.
This revolution paved the way for very interesting and lively developments in European art. Between the two world wars, from Dadaism to Surrealism and Realism to Neo-Romanticism, a final blow was dealt to Cubism and the formal Avant-garde.
The choice of Florence as the venue for the exhibition is especially significant. It was here, while visiting the city in October 1909, that the 21 year old De Chirico had the intuition that was to prompt him to create his first metaphysical works.
The exhibition includes some of De Chirico most famous works from 1911 on, paintings by Carrà and Morandi, and masterpieces by Renè Magritte, Max Ernst and Balthus, which the visitors can compare and contrast with several important works by such artists as Niklaus Stoecklin, Arturo Nathan, Pierre Roy and Alberto Savinio, all of whom travelled the path first marked put by De Chirico.
A journey in pictures into unknonw territory, a “look into the invisible” allow us to explore in depth the art of De Chirico and the 20th century.
Opening hours
Tuesday-sunday 10.00 am – 8.00 pm
Monday closed
Phone: +39 055 2469600
Fax +39 055 244145
Tickets
Full price euro 10.00
Reduced euro 8.50; 8,00; 7,50; 7,00; 4,00
