Bagni di Lucca
Bagni di Lucca is a quiet town nestled in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, where the Lima River joins the Serchio River. Renowned for its excellent healing waters and mild climate, it has long been a popular destination for visitors and vacationers from across Europe.
CONTACTS
STREET ADDRESS: Bagni di Lucca Infopoint - Viale Umberto I, 97 Bagni di Lucca
PHONE: 0583 805745
WEBSITE: www.turismobagnidilucca.com
The poets Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Giosuè Carducci, Giovanni Pascoli, Eugenio Montale and the musicians Richard Strauss, Niccolò Paganini, Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini.
In this corner of Tuscany, there are many places to visit and experiences to enjoy: the spa; the evocative Chain Bridge, designed by architect Lorenzo Nottolini and completed in 1860; the Anglican church and cemetery from the first half of the 19th century, commissioned by the English community; in the nearby town of Ponte a Serraglio, the Royal Casino, the first authorized in Europe, where the game of roulette is said to have been invented, now a museum; for outdoor enthusiasts, the adrenaline-filled descent of the Lima River in a raft or the thrilling excursion through the natural canyon of Orrido di Botri.
Puccini itinerary
Before moving to Milan to continue his studies at the Conservatory, the young Giacomo Puccini He traveled to Bagni di Lucca to play piano in a small dance band at the Teatro Accademico, the Casino, and the Sala Ducci in Ponte a Serraglio. For dinner, he was almost always the guest of Adelson Betti (father of violinist Adolfo) and wrote a piece for him (Vexilla Regis), which was performed during Holy Week in the town church, with Betti himself as organist and choirmaster.
In the following years, Puccini returned to Bagni di Lucca as a summer vacationer: here he had many good friends and could work in peace ("la quiete bagnajola") and rest from the stresses of social commitments. When the summer months were really hot, he loved to spend them in Abetone, on the Pistoia mountains not far from Bagni di Lucca; for a time he even had a house there and was here in the summer of 1903 while he was composing. Madama Butterfly.
In 1909 he stayed for a few weeks at the Grand Hotel delle Terme and there he composed the second act of The West fanciulla.
In 1920 he stayed at the Hotel Vittoria and thanks to Baron Edoardo Fassini Camossi he had the decisive meeting with the librettists Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni for the writing of the texts of his last great unfinished opera. Turandot.