Ducal Palace
When in 1806 the Princess of Lucca, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, had Piazza Napoleone opened, the ambitious project included the construction of a large square that would highlight the majestic Palazzo dei Principi (now the Palazzo Ducale), the centre of public and political life in Lucca at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
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STREET ADDRESS: Carrara courtyard, Lucca
PHONE: 0583 4171
EMAIL: info@palazzoducale.lucca.it
WEBSITE: palazzoducale.lucca.it
The origins of the palace date back to the 14th century: the building stands on the site of the castle included in the Augusta, the large fortress that the Ghibelline leader and lord of Lucca Castruccio Castracani had built in 1322. The fortress occupied almost a fifth of the city, was defended by towers and considered impregnable, but, occupied by the Pisans, it was demolished in 1369 by popular demand by the people of Lucca themselves, but the palace was spared and returned to being the seat of the city government.
In the following centuries the architects Bartolomeo Ammannati (16th century) and Filippo Juvarra (18th century) gave the palace the modern and imposing appearance it has today.
In 1815 the Congress of Vienna transformed the Principality of Lucca into a Duchy, entrusting it to Maria Luisa of Bourbon, Another extraordinary female figure who left an indelible mark on the history of Lucca. Austere, a restorer, but with an enlightened spirit, she completed many of the projects and intuitions of her predecessor Elisa: schools for boys and girls, the Botanical Garden, roads, the aqueduct, the reclamation of the coastline, and the beginning of the history of modern Versilia.
Even today, the Duchess's watchful gaze embraces and watches over the square: in the center dominates the imposing statue depicting her together with her son Carlo Lodovico, a work by Lorenzo Bartolini from 1843.
The austere sovereign commissioned Lucca-born architect Lorenzo Nottolini, author and designer of many of the city's public works, to embellish and enrich the palace's interiors, transforming it into a sumptuous palace in the heart of the city.
The palace has a solemn and elegant façade. Two monumental portals lead to two internal courtyards: the Francesco Carrara Courtyard, from the name of the jurist from Lucca whose monument is located in the centre, and the Courtyard of the Swiss, formerly the headquarters and lodgings of the Swiss Guards defending the Republic of Lucca. The latter has a beautiful ashlar portico and a loggia above, whose windows offer views from Piazza Napoleone to Piazza del Giglio. The two courtyards are connected by a neoclassical gallery known as the Passaggio delle Carrozze, designed by Nottolini.
From the Swiss Courtyard, a monumental Royal Staircase leads to the Gallery of Statues, decorated with stucco and marble statues in classical style. From there, you enter the Parade Quarter and the Royal Apartments. Richly decorated: frescoes with mythological subjects, gilded stucco, bas-reliefs and floral festoons, white Carrara marble fireplaces with majolica, walnut doors with bronze reliefs. The most sumptuous room is the Sala delle Guardie (or Sala Ademollo, after the artist), with a rich fresco cycle dedicated to the Emperor Trajan.
Exhibitions, conferences and cultural events are held at the Palazzo Ducale. It also hosts the Museum of the Risorgimento in Lucca, Paolo Cresci Museum for the History of Italian Emigration and another interesting exhibition to visit. In the spaces of the Elisa's Theatre (built by Princess Elisa and where she herself loved to perform, then demolished in 1872) it is set up permanent exhibition "The Nose and History"By inhaling pleasant essences, from the most delicate to the most intense and decisive perfumes (rose, mimosa, bergamot, champagne, coffee...), the lives and historical events of the two famous women who reigned in Lucca, Elisa Baciocchi and Maria Luisa of Bourbon, are evoked.