Street of the Villas

The Lucca plain is home to around one hundred and fifty villas, both large and small, belonging to wealthy merchants and which have also hosted important historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte's family.
The tour begins at Villa Bernardini in Vicopelago, a hamlet of Lucca not far from the city. This sumptuous villa, once owned by the ancient and powerful Bernardini family of Lucca, has now become a museum, offering visitors the opportunity to admire its original furnishings.

We continue into the city center of Lucca and then take the Serchio River bike path to Ponte a Moriano. We leave the plain behind to discover the Lucca hills, rich in history and tradition, in a charming rural setting dotted with luxurious historic homes. The first we encounter is the Villa Reale di Marlia, also known as the "imperial castle" because it was the home of Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister.

We continue along narrow, quiet roads to quickly pass Villa Massarosa, Villa Mansi, and Villa Torrigiani, the latter among the most luxurious and scenic in the area.

The tour continues towards Collodi, the town of Pinocchio, with a visit to the historic Garzoni Garden and ends in the municipality of Montecarlo in front of the medieval fortress, a very important place in Lucca's history where the Florentines were expelled from Lucca in 1300.
It is possible to return to Lucca following the Wine and Oil Route itinerary which passes through Turchetto, Porcari and Capannori before reaching the walls of the capital.