The Devil’s Bridge is one of Italy’s most beautiful, and most strange… The Ponte della Maddalena, otherwise known as the Ponte del Diavolo, straddles the Serchio river at Borgo a Mozzano, in Lucca, Tuscany. No one knows for sure who built it, but the legend goes that it was St Julian, who required the help […]
If you love opera, where better to hear it than in Tuscany? All summer long, you can enjoy beautiful music in lovely Tuscan locales. From great accommodation to top spots for food and drink, Adrian Mourby’s guide is your perfect travel companion Photos by Kate Tadman-Mourby Where to stay Nido D’Amore Butterfly Hotel The Love Nest […]
Two towns, two coastlines, two composers and both with rich, magnificent histories. Who are we talking about? Along the sandy beach of the Adriatic sits the town of Pesaro while near the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, encased by its fortified walls, lies Lucca. Every summer both towns come alive to the sound of opera. […]
In the small town of Vetriano, in the province of Lucca, is this theatre, now part of the Guinness World Records. This historial theatre, is now recognised as the smallest world! The theatre is located between houses and the streets of this stunning Tuscan village and keeps features of the 19th century, with a very little stage which is still […]
A calling point for pilgrims from the north on their way to Rome, Lucca Cattedrale or Cathedral is the resting place of one of the most important holy images of the Middle Ages… Saint Martin’s Cathedral in Lucca is famed for housing the Holy Face of Lucca (Il Volto Santo di Lucca), a large wooden crucifix […]
Sipping a glass of Prosecco, relaxing in a Jacuzzi on your terrace in the hills high above the Tuscan coast, the world takes on a rosy glow… Even more so if you’re with your loved one and you’re their favourite person because you chose and organized this holiday. But how can you be sure that […]
Luckily, though, unlike some regional neighbours, Lucca has managed to avoid turning into an over-commercialised tourist trap. Lucca has been a thriving community since Roman times and before. It was, in fact, such an important centre for the Romans that in 56BC Caesar, Pompey and Crassius met here for their historic pow-wow, which culminated in […]
Alison Barnett, Suffolk “We fell in love with the magic of Lucca – and the wildlife. We would look out for our friend each evening on our stroll along the walls. Don’t you just admire his wonderful Italian charm?!”
Dave Harcombe, Lancaster “Wonderful Lucca. Probably the best kept secret in Italy”
Trish Fuell, Fakenham, Norfolk “I attach a photo taken in Lucca on one of my many trips to Italy. There was a large mirror on the outside of this shop and I thought it made a nice framed shot of the amphitheatre in Lucca.”