Villas and house for rent in Lucca. Come and enjoy the comfort of a luxury holiday

'Better to have a corpse in the house, than a Pisan on the doorstep'!

Strange Luccan saying you may think, if you don't know the extraordinary history and culture of this fascinating land.
Even the very same Luccans often don't realize the immense artistic patrimony, traditions and tastes of their 'Lucchesia'. The journey we propose invites you not only to discover the classic Lucca, but also the extreme cultural heritage of this little 'State of the Serene Republic of Lucca'.

The historic villas, the tiny villages of the Garfagnana and the Media Valley, the Versilian coast, the wine, chestnuts and excellent extra virgin olive oil, the marble, the plaster figurines and the smallest public theatre in the world have a lot to tell and to be proud of.
We will take a look at these detested neighbors, 'the Pisans' who have contributed to the formation and identity of the Lucan people.
We will also visit the sister Art Cities of Tuscany, Siena, San Gimignano and Florence.

The journey will take place during the anniversary period of the death of Giacomo Puccini,
Lucca's most famous son and includes an evening at the Municipal theatre of Florence with a grand exhibition of La Boheme and on an itinerary of the maestro's footsteps to Torre Del Lago and Celle Puccini.
In this period an annual exhibition takes place in the Ex Real College at San Frediano called 'Olio e Tesori di Lucca' (Oil and treasures of Lucca) where you will discover the flavours and typical produce of Lucca.


The journey is also a unique occasion to meet 'in patria' with the Association of the Lucchesi nel Mondo in the prestigious headquarters of Porta San Pietro and at the museum Puccini at Celle.

Arrival at Lucca in the afternoon and settle in at 4 star Hotel Hambros.
Welcome cocktail with the President of the Association of the Lucchesi nel Mondo.
Typical Tuscan meal in nearby restaurant.
Return to hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to Lucca for guided tour of the City.
World famous for the perfectly conserved Renaissance walls which surround it and its medieval aspect. Known as the city of a hundred churches. (Actually there are only 88!)
The guide will accompany you through the medieval lanes to admire the elegant palaces and ancient stores and live the incredible historic and artistic testimony of this city.
The Cathedral of San Martino which conserves Europe's most antique sacred image and the majestic church of San Michele.
Then onto the Church of San Frediano with its splendid rare gold mosaic façade and the Roman amphitheatre square which is a formidable example of integration into today's daily life, hardly noticed by the busy tourist intent on their hunt for monuments.
Lunch at renowned restaurant Buca di Sant'Antonio in the historic center with typical Lucan fare.
After lunch, visit to the headquarters of the 'Association Lucchese nel mondo' in the Renaissance wall gatehouse of Porta San Pietro.

Free time for shopping or more sightseeing in the centre of Lucca.
Evening meal in the beautiful countryside. This territory is dotted with wine farms that produce an excellent DOC from the Lucca hills.
At the restaurant Fattoria Maionchi the meal will be served with their own wines and oil.
Return to Hotel.

After breakfast transfer to Pietrasanta
This Medieval city owes its fortune to the artistic heritage of marble sculptors and bronze foundries and supplies galleries worldwide.
The City is rich in art laboratories which are seen throughout the lanes and squares creating a lively atmosphere of living art where antique and modern, work and meditation, noisy scalpels and silent beauty live side by side in harmony.
On our tour you will visit an interesting laboratory where world famous Carrara marble is sculpted.
We drive to Versilia for a brief visit of Viareggio, seaside location famous for the liberty style promenade with boutique shops, luxury yacht building and its incredible carnival.
Free time for lunch.
Transfer to Torre Del Lago Puccini.

Guided tour of Villa Puccini, still the property of the Maestro's granddaughter.
The villa looks over the picturesque lake and was noted by Puccini as his paradise with luxurious sunsets and the excellent company of extraordinary village friends.
His remains lie in the little chapel directly behind his piano.
In the late afternoon we carry on to Pisa.
You will be awestruck by the magnificent miracle square which hosts on its green, the most important example of Romanic Pisan art with the Cathedral with marble pulpit by Giovanni Pisano, masterpiece of Italian gothic art, the Baptistry, the cemetery and the world's most famous building: The leaning tower of Pisa.
It was from here that Galileo conducted his law of gravity experiments.
Now problems concerning its decline are completely resolved and once again it is open to visitors.
The historic centre is vibrant with thousands of young University students, deeply Mediterranean, sincere and full of life.


Dinner at Villa Orsi one of the best Olive oil producers in Italy, an evening meal discovering the exceptional excellence of Lucca's oil.

After breakfast transfer to Lucca for the oil and treasures of Lucca exhibition.

This annual event celebrates and values the excellence of the extra virgin olive oil and other typical produce with various appointments dedicated to the places and traditional flavours for the joy of the Lucans themselves and their welcome guests, because they have always been masters in the art of hospitality.
Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon, transfer to the hills of Lucca to visit one of the most beautiful villas of Tuscany, the Villa Torrigiani.
This villa, a site of great culture has amongst its illustrious guests the French President George Pompidou and Giscard D'Estaing, the Queen mother, who planted a tree, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien on a private visit during the G8 at Genova.
In the little theatre Maria Malibran and Cecilia Bartoli sang.
We will dine in a wine farm at Montecarlo, where they produce the famous DOC of the Montecarlo hills.
Return to hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to Florence in the very heart of Tuscany on the river Arno.
The city conserves an exceptional artistic patrimony, testimony to its antiquity.
The most distinguishing and influential period in time being the Renaissance.

The visit to Florence offers a panorama of the places and most important monuments of the city.
The cathedral square with the magnificent 'Duomo', Giotto's bell tower and the baptistery.
The tour continues to the 'Piazza Della Signoria and the 'Piazza Vecchio' down to the 'Ponte Vecchio' famous for its row of antique jewelry stores.
The tour ends with the visit to the 'Basilica di Santa Croce' which houses many masterpieces such as the famous fresco by Giotto and where some of the most influential historic personalities of this country are buried.
After the guided visit to Florence, a light lunch in a typical Florentine restaurant.

After lunch, transfer to the municipal theatre to assist the great opera by Maestro Giacomo Puccini, 'La Boheme'. Directed by Carlo Montenaro, scenography and orchestra by the Theatre Maggio musicale Fiorentino.

Evening meal in the Carmingano Docg region at renowned biodynamic wine producers 'Fattoria di Baccereto'.
Here they produce Sassocarlo, a white Tuscan Trebbiano and Malvasia which over the years has evolved into an elegant Docg, a balanced, clean and intense wine.
Return to hotel.

(Optional tour)
After breakfast transfer to Siena.
City of Etruscan origins and Roman colony, still today a living model of a medieval city.
The actual layout is almost identical to 1300's when the city was living its most prosperous economical and artistic period.

The guided tour begins at S. Domenico, a majestic 'Basilica' with gothic imprint built by the XI century Dominicans, then we proceed to the heart of the city to reach the famous 'Piazza del Campo, known worldwide for its medieval horse race. In the square stands the Palazzo Pubblico, symbol of Independence and economic power Senese and the Tower of Mangia.

Free time for lunch.
Afternoon dedicated to the discovery of the 'city of towers' San Gimignano.
Splendid hill top town which dominates the Valdelsa, famous for its 'skyscraper towers' built in the historic centre, once there were 72 towers.

Winding through the lanes you may admire fantastic monuments
like the 'Colleggiata', with masterpieces by Taddeo di Bartolo,
Benozzo Bozzoli, Iacopo Della Quercia and Bartolo di Fredi. You can browse in the numerous craft and food stores, and reach the beautiful Castle Rocca di Montestaffoli, from where you may admire a splendid panoramic view.
Evening meal dining strictly on home produce on the Poggio Alloro farm just 5 km from San Gimignano and where you can see a magnificent view of 'Tuscany's Manhattan'.

This farm produce san excellent Doc Vernaccia and breeds the famous 'canina' Florentine steaks.
Return to hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to Garfagnana.
During this trip we will discover the Devils Bridge, one of the most impressive bridges of Europe.
Visit Barga, historic city of the Media valley of the river Serchio which dominates a panoramic position with spectacular views of the entire mountain chain of the Apuan Alps, the most important marble mountains of Italy.
One of the characteristics distinguishing this town is its hilltop construction, ornate in splendid palaces and winding steps leading you up to the Cathedral Square. The tour includes the historic center and visit to the cathedral with Romanic masterpieces situated in the green square called 'Arringo'.

Transfer to Coreglia Antelminelli to visit the plaster figurine and emigration museum.
Founded in 1975 in the Palazzo Vanni, the museum documents the activity of the manufacture of plaster and the emigrational phenomenon of the 'Figurinaio' from the Media valley from the 16th century to today.
The exhibition reconstructs an important phase of the history and transformation of the figurinaio and documents the various phases of Lucan emigration.
Lunch at typical restaurant.
After lunch, visit to the interesting chestnut museum at the pretty stone village of Colognora of Pescaglia with tastings of chestnut produce. Transfer to Vetriano for a cocktail in the tiniest public theatre in the world.
On the way back, stop off at Celle di Puccini, tiny medieval mountain village which hosts the ancestral home of Maestro Giacomo Puccini, and property of The Association, Lucchese Nel mondo. Here we can see his piano, notes, letters and personal belongings of himself and his ancestors. Farwell ceremony from the president of the association.

Dinner at renowned restaurant in the village with mountain produce.
Return to hotel.

After breakfast, departure.

• 1.120 Euro a person in double room
• 1.320 Euro a person in single room

Price is valid for a minimum of 35 participants
Extra supplements

• 40 Euro per ticket in the first Sector plateau for La Bohème
• Transfers to and from the Italian airports -Lucca and back on arrival and departure days.
• 130 Euro a person for optional Excursion Siena - San Gimignano with Bus, guided tour of Siena e San Gimignano, entrance to Collegiata di San Gimignano and dinner at farm. Valid for a minimum of 20 partecipants .

The price includes:

• All GT bus transfers as program, including city passes, taxes, evening supplements until the day of departure.
• All guided excursions except the optional tour to Siena and San Gimignano.
• Accommodation for 7 nights with breakfast in 4 star hotel.
• All meals in farms and restaurants in program including ¼ lt. wine and ½ lt. mineral water per person per meal. (Excluding the optional tour to Siena on 28th November)
• Entrance to art laboratory of Pietrasanta.
• Entrance to Villa Puccini at Torre Del Lago.
• Entrance to the Cathedral of Pisa
• Entrance to villa Torrigiani
• Entrance to Santa Croce Florence
• Entrance to Municipal theatre of Florence, La Boheme, seat in first gallery, second sector. Entrance to figurine and emigration museum.
• Entrance to chestnut museum and tasting.
• Entrance to the theatre of Vetriano
• Entrance to Puccini museum at Celle Puccini.

The price does not include:

• Transfers the day of arrival and the day of departure and any evening trips not stated.
• Optional tour to Siena and San Gimignano.
• Tips and extras.
• Anything else unless otherwise stated in the voice 'included in price'.