Grand Tour

The reason for the unanimous esteem in which “industrious” Lucca was held lay in the political situation of the small city. Travelers admired its strenuous defense of the independence that had allowed it to maintain its territorial and political integrity. In their eyes the political history of Lucca was a concrete expression of the word Libertas , which was in fact inscribed all over the place, on all the symbols of the city and on its coats of arms.

Thanks to this (a result obtained, according to Montesquieu, by sticking strictly to three principles: «no Inquisition, no Jesuits, no Jews») the small city prospered, both in manufacturing activities, chiefly those of silk and worked fabrics, and in agriculture (favored by its position, in the middle of a valley surrounded by fertile hills and bathed by the Serchio River). It excelled in particular in the production of oil (generally of poor quality in Italy, according to de Brosses, 1740), which was the city's principal trade after silk fabrics. Moreover, as Duclos put it (1766), «the test of the true liberty of a people is its prosperity»: and in fact it was impossible to come across beggars, mendicants and vagabonds in the little republic of Lucca. Lucca's success was particularly impressive when seen in comparison with Venice. And so descriptions of the magistracies, functioning and administration of the state were abundant.

Equally great was the admiration expressed for the enviable position of the city and its environs. According to de Brosses, Lucca, which reminded him a little of Geneva, was surrounded by a ring of mountains and situated at its center as if it were “at the bottom of a barrel.” The plain on which it stood was bounded by rich and densely populated hillsides (Misson, 1688) and was fertile, cultivated like a garden and dotted with what were considered the most pleasant and prosperous country houses in Italy.

From the outside what was most striking about the city was the tree-lined ramparts that ringed it, a first impression that lingered for a long time. They were also a favorite place for restful strolls («indeed this is the finest thing there is at Lucca, for which, between you and me, it was not worth going out of the way,» de Brosses), to the point that, as Misson tells us, «they serve as the city's main street.» Montesquieu's well-known interest in fortresses found an outlet here. In fact he found the defenses of Lucca particularly attractive: «the bastions are planted with trees, to very beautiful effect: they are the city's promenade, as its peaceful rulers are not at all jealous of their fortifications.»

Top billing also went to the paving of the road, «the finest that can be found» for de Brosses, although it had all been hammered for the convenience of horses, and the Palazzo della Repubblica, which had it not been left unfinished would have been very large and impressive, with its annexed arsenal where the arms were kept in good order and in quite large numbers for such a small state. But the Swiss Guard at the seat of government , noted de Brosses ironically, «lines up on just one side when the Senate passes as there are not enough of them to deploy on both.»

The Roman amphitheater was a favorite, albeit disfigured by the market that was held in its oval arena, and a word of appreciation often went to the baths, renowned for their health-giving properties. Montaigne (1581) wrote what amounted to a short treatise on the curative effect of their waters. Dupaty went there and left the following description (1785): «it is the finest water that flows in the finest marble and, they say, health flows with it.» Gorani held them in high regard, mainly because they were equipped to provide all the comforts, and gave a price list: «the use of a bathroom costs one paolo a day, which is equivalent to twelve French sous; for the attentions of the people responsible for the service one pays in the order of eighteen sous a session.»

The most interesting places of worship were the cathedral of San Martino and the church of San Frediano, although they were not always highly thought of: de Brosses went so far as to describe the portal of the cathedral as «curious by dint of its ugliness.» The cathedral housed the so-called Holy Face, «carved by angels to a design by Nicodemus, who was as bad a sculptor as St. Luke was bad at painting.» Like a lord, the figure wore a frock coat of red velvet and a crown of precious stones on its head. Noteworthy, on the other hand, were the Life of the Virgin painted in a chapel on the left and the pictures on the right, which included a Last Supper by Tintoretto. The image of the Holy Face «performs no more miracles than many others,» says Misson, and yet was a great object of devotion in Lucca. It was so popular that coins bore either the effigy of the emperor who protected the republic, «worthy of respect despite the jokes, for such is any small state that is able to preserve its existence» (de Brosses), or that of the Holy Face.

It is interesting to follow the account of de Brosses, who makes a digression to describe a play he attended. The author notes the conspicuous presence of ladies and above all the fact that the climax was provided by a great display of fireworks arranged all around the parquet and through the curtains and boxes, «without the explosion of this fire, in such a dangerous place, or the rain of fire that poured down frightening anyone, except for me. And yet, apart from this, I found this firework display more beautiful than any I had ever seen in France.»

Musical life was particularly lively in Lucca, where the opera houses were run directly by the city's senate, which was responsible for engaging the singers. William Beckford (1783) records being scolded by the Gonfalonier for having taken the famous singer Pacchierotti on an excursion into the countryside in the course of which he had caught a cold.