Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in Lucca

3 Fantastic Beasts to Hunt

Don't worry, vegetarians, vegans, and animal-loving friends in general: we're talking about a hunt in the figurative sense. Think of it more as an exciting adventure. treasure hunt through the intriguing city of Lucca.

The facades of the main churches of Lucca, mostly in Pisan-Lucca Romanesque style, are characterized by an exorbitant amount of zoomorphic decorations, which follow one another as if they were finely embroidered on an elaborate, precious fabric.

These sculptural decorations represent animals that may correspond to a actually existing fauna, Or fantasy beasts which we find in the collective imagination, having come down to us mostly from the fairy tales we were read as children.

Animals in medieval culture and bestiaries

In front of a church, one might expect to find saints, blesseds, popes, and biblical figures, rather than animals. Why animals?!

The fact is that each of those little carved animals had a story to tell and a message to be delivered to the faithfulAll creation is the fruit of God's work, therefore nature is the repository of divine messages directed to man. In this sense, il animal world is a book written by the Almighty and whoever knows how to observe and read it will be able to understand how a good Christian should behave. medieval bestiaries they provided the answer to this interpretative need of nature.

But what are these bestiaries?!

They are real treatises, almost encyclopedic, in which real and imaginary animals were described, focusing on their symbolic interpretation, devoid of any scientific value. Indeed, the descriptions they contain often make us smile at their absurdity!

This is precisely the beauty of the Middle Ages: it is necessary to immerse ourselves in a symbolic system of which we have now lost track, but which remains, latent and unconscious, in our cultural substrate.

Let's get to the point

Among the infinite animals represented in Lucca I have selected some three among many legendary and mythologicalIf you are curious about this, just join us.on our guided tour "On the hunt for Lucca's fantastic animals"

The two-tailed mermaid

Half woman and half fish, there is a particular type: the two-tailed mermaid, that is two-tailedWe find a representation of it on the architrave of the central portal of the church of Saint Michael in the Forum, but there are many others both in the city center and outside. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll find many more than you expect.

In mythology, the siren enchants passing sailors with her sweet song, leading them adrift. Therefore, in the Christian interpretation, she is a temptress woman which distracts men from the right path: it thus becomes synonymous with sin and perdition in earthly pleasures.originally, the two-tailed fish-woman links the feminine world to that of nature, specifically, to theelement water, which has always been considered the cradle of life, showing the generative power of Mother Earth: fertility.

Mermaids, then, not only know how to swim, but also fly...but that's another story I'd be happy to tell you in person!

The Griffin

Half eagle and half lion, arises from the hypothetical mating between a male eagle and a lioness. Both the eagle, Queen of the air, and the lion, King of the land animals, are two key animals in bestiaries: both represent Christ and divine power. The griffin, partaking of both natures, leonine and aquiline, reflects the dual nature of Christ, who is God (king of Heaven), made man (king of Earth). For this reason the griffin, which takes the best of both, enjoys the reputation of being invincible and is placed on guard incredible treasures.

Even Marco Polo and, shortly after, also Sir John Mandeville (two famous travellers who lived between the 12th and 14th centuries, the first Venetian, the second English), claimed to have sighted a griffin during one of their numerous journeys to the East.

You can spot a griffin on the decorations of the facade of the church of Santa Maria Forisportam and of the portico of the Cathedral of San Martino, or right at the top of the Church of San Frediano.

Although it is a mythological figure, the griffin's claws They were highly sought after: why? Come and find out.

The Unicorn

It is the most animal polymorphic and composite of the entire medieval bestiary: sometimes it has the body of a horse, the head of a deer, and the feet of an elephant; other times, it has the head of a goat, the body of a deer, and horse's legs; still others, it more closely resembles a small goat. No one knows what it actually looks like: the only certainty is that it has a long horn in the middle of its forehead.

If attacked, it reacts ferociously and brutally. The only way to capture it is to use a young virgin as bait. In fact, the unicorn senses her purity and goes to rest its head in the girl's lap, falling asleep helplessly: at that point the hunter can proceed with the capture.

This exotic wonder was sought after by princes and kings all over the world, because it was believed that from its horn, the Indians could make some cups capable of purifying poisoned liquidsA very useful tool at the time, given the frequency of conspiracies against rulers, who feared being killed with a cup of wine filled with poison.

Such was the importance of the unicorn horn that some have been found twisted horns preserved among the treasures of churches, abbeys and "wonder rooms" of intrepid travellers. Therefore, this tangible evidence would seem to suggest the existence of the legendary unicorn...but, did it really exist then?!

Well, yes, in Lucca you could meet the legendary unicorn!
But where? You have to find out for yourself, but I'll give you a hint: don't look for it on the facades of churches, but inside a museum.

Sara Paoletti is a licensed professional guide with the Lucca Info&Guide Association.
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