Villa Bernardini
In 1615, Bernardino Bernardini, an enlightened thinker and illustrious figure in Lucca's political life, Ambassador of the Republic to various princes and to the Holy See, had the villa of Vicopelago built, a welcoming residence for his family and guests, a place of study and relaxation, so peaceful and close to the city that it has belonged to the family ever since, from father to son.
STREET ADDRESS: Vicopelago Cemetery Street, 573/A Vicopelago
PHONE: 0583 1646057 - 1646534
EMAIL: info@villabernardini.it
WEBSITE: villabernardini.it
The garden also reflects this desire for serenity and welcome.
Lush trees and shrubs and countless flowering shrubs decorate the garden so that it blooms year-round.
The Secret Garden was created in the early 1700s and was intended for ladies to relax and converse in. Four large white limestone statues guard the soothing sound of the water from the large fountain, which blends with the shade of centuries-old trees. Not far away, at the end of the garden, lies the large Limonaia, a winter shelter for the lemon trees, adorned with centuries-old Ficus repens trees that decorate its north wall.
The interior of the villa is comfortable and welcoming, as is typical of country homes. From the central hall, arranged as usual along a perfect axis connecting the front and back, an elegant Matraia stone staircase leads to the main floor, the large ballroom. Around this space are bedrooms, living rooms, and studies, furnished with original pieces commissioned by the Bernardini family over the centuries. Each room displays the family crest, a white cross on a red field featuring an upright crescent moon, the symbol of the Crusaders. Each room holds small surprises from every era and place: portraits of ancestors, collections of ceramics, a still-working water clock, and an entire Empire-style bedroom.
Its interiors still retain their original layout, except for a few modifications commissioned by Marianna Parensi, who also designed the large green theatre at the rear of the villa, carved out of box hedges and nestled into the natural slope of the hill, which afforded perfect acoustics for the approximately 400 guests it could accommodate.