tuscany villa rentals - Holiday Villas in Lucca, Italy

LUCCA: CHARMING YET RESERVED
Situated on a fertile plain of the river Serchio near the Tyrrhenian Sea, Lucca is a city in Tuscany, and the capital of the province of Lucca, famed for its medieval wall because it is perhaps the largest Italian city with its medieval city wall still intact though the city has expanded past its original boundaries. Like so many of Tuscany’s cities, Lucca was founded by the Etruscans and became a Roman colony in 180 BC. Today, its palaces and churches draw tourists from across the world, who appreciate the city’s several excellent hotels.

Plundered by Odoacer, also known as Odovacar, the first barbarian King of Italy, Lucca was also an important city and fortress at the time of Narses, a Byzantine general active during the reigns of the emperors Maurice and Phocas in the late sixth and early seventh centuries who besieged it for three months in 553, and under the Lombards it was the seat of a duke who minted his own coins.

Lucca gradually became prosperous through the silk trade that began in the 11th century, and its produce grew to rival the famed silks of Byzantium. During the 10th-11th centuries, Lucca was the capital of the feudal margravate (territory of a lord or military governor of a medieval German border province) of Tuscany, more or less independent but owing token allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperor.

After the death of Matilda of Tuscany, Lucca began to fashion itself as an independent republic, and remained so for 500 years, with many minor feudatories in the region between southern Liguria and northern Tuscany. Dante’s Divine Comedy includes many references to Lucca’s great feudal families, as Dante himself spent some of his exile in Lucca. In 1408, Lucca played host to the convocation intended to end the schism in the papacy.

Occupied by troops of Louis of Bavaria, Lucca was sold to Gherardino Spinola, and then seized by John, king of Bohemia. Pawned to the Rossi of Parma, they ceded the town to Martino della Scala of Verona, after which it was sold to the Florentines, surrendered to the Pisans, liberated by Emperor Charles IV and governed by his vicar, Lucca maintained its independence first as a democracy, and after 1628 as an oligarchy. After 1815 it became a Bourbon-Parma duchy, then part of Tuscany in 1847 and finally part of the Italian State.

The walls around the old town, once they lost their military importance, became a pedestrian promenade and were even used for a number of years in the 20th century for racing cars. The Academy of Sciences is the most famous of Lucca’s several academies and libraries. Then you have the Casa di Puccini, as well as several medieval churches with rich arcaded facades and campaniles.

Every year, Lucca hosts a Summer Festival, a major tourist attraction that draws artistes like Eric Clapton, Placebo, Massive Attack, Roger Waters, Tracy Chapman and Santana live at the Piazza Napoleone.

Lucca also boasts several excellent hotels, bed & breakfasts, and villas, as our list (www.yourwaytotuscany.com/Lucca.htm) will tell you. For all those planning a trip to Lucca, we have accommodation facilities to suit every budget.

TUSCANY VILLAS: YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Tuscany is justly famous for its wine, food, warm and hospitable people, and dazzling natural beauty. However, in our opinion, Tuscany should also be celebrated for its beautiful villas, because the Tuscan countryside is dotted with some of the most superb villas dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, and almost all of them are perfectly preserved, so that they can still be inhabited with ease. And guess what? We would like to invite you to stay in one of Tuscany's independent villas, which we have carefully selected for the discerning tourist. We can guarantee you every home comfort that you can ask for, in the luxurious and elegant atmosphere of these beautiful villas.

Without exception, the independent villas of Tuscany that we have chosen for you are located amidst some wonderful natural scenery. Take the Villa Ginestra, situated near the top of a hill in the Tuscan countryside, delighting guests with a magnificent view of the city of Florence. Also within view is the tiny village of Cercina. On a nearby hilltop, you can see the ruins of a great house that once belonged to a medieval bishop. The scenery is, in a word, magnificent. At Villa Ginestra, you will enjoy the best Italy has to offer – the timeless beauty of Tuscany’s rural countryside, and quick and easy access to Florence.

An orchard of half-century-old olive trees surrounds Villa Ginestra, providing visitors with a crown of green and silver. To the west is the still deeper green of a forested mountain, webbed with well-marked trails for the adventurous hiker. To the east is a superb view of the medieval town of Fiesole.

And that is just one example of what we can offer you. There are numerous independent villas in Tuscany that find place on our list, spread all across this beautiful region of Italy. Can you actually imagine staying in a place called the Villa Buonaparte? Well, we have it on our list too, and it is situated on San Miniato’s hills, about five km from San Miniato. It is a 16th-century building, carefully renovated and maintained to remind you of the charms of medieval Italy.

As we keep saying, these are mere samples. For a detailed list of independent villas in Tuscany, come to us and we’ll take you on a free and infinitely rewarding tour!

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