The streets of antique dealers: Via del Battistero and Via del Gallo

In the 1930s, a group of farsighted antique dealers and enlightened gallery owners who had their shops on Via del Battistero, in Lucca's historic center, through their activities and initiatives, established Lucca as a major center of international antiques, the beating heart of Lucca's antiques scene and a sought-after destination for cultured enthusiasts and the curious from all over the world who soon came to know it as "the street of antique dealers."

In the 1960s, historian Isa Belli Barsali, author of an authoritative guide to Lucca, defined it as “a lively cultural salon” frequented by brilliant personalities.

Lucca's reputation as a key city in the antiques sector was such that in 1956, during the filming of King Vidor's "War and Peace," the antiques dealer Bruno Vangelisti—a man of great charisma and a keen aesthetic sense—was entrusted with the set design.
In 1976 it was Luchino Visconti's turn, who filmed "The Innocent" in Lucca: on this occasion too, the antique dealers of Via del Battistero made their precious furnishings available to recreate the settings in a completely philological manner, as was the great Milanese director's custom.

This street – the custodian of an illustrious cultural season – still maintains its character today an uncorrupted charm which attracts cosmopolitan enthusiasts who turn to antique dealers in search of unique and precious artefacts, echoing the illustrious vestiges of the ancient workshops that during the Renaissance made Lucca one of the main centres of Italian art.
Antique galleries remain important centers for the dissemination of beauty and culture – through the research, study, and conservation of important works of art to be passed down to future generations.

The streets of antique dealers today

Via del Battistero Over the decades, it has maintained its antiques tradition, which has over time extended to the adjacent Via del Gallo. This street also boasts antique and design galleries, a bibliographical study, art and furniture shops, designers, and high-quality fabric retailers.

The Via and Corte del Gallo – by virtue of their evocative character – continue to attract film productions. Director Peter Greenaway's latest film and some television series, including one on the life of Mario Tobino.

The two streets continue to exude the charm of those who champion good taste in the artistic field, attracting cultured visitors to whom they offer a glimpse of the city that maintains Lucca's illustrious tradition of quality and prestige.