Two great re-enactments for the day of the Santa Croce (Holy Cross). The artillery Gazzarra with the traditional firing of the festivals of the ancient Republic of Lucca to honor the Santa Croce and remind citizens and subjects, with the fire of the pieces and the roar of the shots, the legal obligation to come to Lucca and participate in the Luminara, as a ceremony of the Oath of Loyalty.

For the Occhio di Lucca (Eye of Lucca), instead, the towers of the ancient optical communication system used by the Republic of Lucca, between the mid-sixteenth and the end of the eighteenth century, for the alerting of their militias came into action.
A smoke signal from the tower of the castle of Nozzano, is detected by the Torre delle Ore in Lucca and transmitted from it to the Torre del Bargiglio through a series of steps involving Monte San Quirico, Monte Catino, Castellaccio d'Aquilea and Brancoli.
Subsequently, the confirmation of the mobilization of the militias is given, as foreseen by the ancient "ordini et capitoli" (ranks and chapters), with "due botte di artiglieria grossa" (two large artillery barrels). They follow in succession the responses of the garrison of Brancoli and Bargiglio, which I always answer by means of acoustic signaling .
The re-enactment continues with the warning of the town militia and the bell of a city tower plays as a hammer as foreseen in the ancient "ordini et capitoli".

The program includes:

Friday, 13 September:
8:00 pm - At the exit of the Luminara of Santa Croce from the Basilica, firing of 2 cannon shots from the San Frediano Platform, in conjunction with the sound of the bells of San Frediano.

Saturday, 14 September:
12:00 am - Gazzarra of artillery from the San Frediano Platform (12 rounds of blanks);
5:00 pm - Animation in historical dress on the platform of S. Frediano, with didactic activity concerning the defense of the Renaissance walls and the complex organizational system that made it possible.
6:30 pm - Start of reports with the lighting of the smoke signal on the tower of the Castle of Nozzano.
6:45 pm - Lighting of the smoke bomb on the Torre delle Ore in place of the Tower of the Palace. It will follow in succession the lighting of the smoke bombs in the positions of Monte S. Quirico (6:50 pm), Monte Catino (6.55 pm), Castellaccio d’Aquilea (7:00 pm), Croce di Brancoli (7:05 pm), Torre del Bargiglio (7:10 pm).
7:15 pm - Shot of two artillery shots from the S. Frediano platform.
7:20 pm - Issue of two acoustic signals from the Brancoli Cross station and from the Torre del Bargiglio.
7.30 pm - Platform of S. Frediano, closing ceremony with handover between the Milizia della Montagna (Militia of the Mountain) and Corpo Degli Alpini.

Sunday, 15 September:
11:30 am / 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm / 8:00 pm - Gazzarra of artillery from the San Frediano platform with repeated salvos of historical artillery; Opening of the San Frediano Underground, deposit of artillery pieces, weapons and furnishings of the time.

The event is included in the September Lucchese 2019 calendar.