LEISURELY IN LUCCA

Lucca, probably named after the disciple Luke, the  physician, stayed the longest with the apostle Paul during the latter’s imprisonment in Rome.
Luke was in the Middle Ages also considered the patron saint of the painters (artists).
Lucca is a smaller city in beautiful Tuscany, about an hour W. of Florence (Firenze), where we went on a week’s vacation last year (2013). A great fit for us, because we try to avoid the trodden tourist paths (if possible) and see how the locals live.

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Lucca has many churches. This one called Basilica di San Frediano. In the evening it’s much busier, because there is a restaurant and a café on this square, and you can park your car right in front of the church:)
Very simple building style, except for the artwork on top of the front. One of my favorite courses when studying for my art teacher’s training (did that long before my studies in psychology) was art history. One of the goals is to be able to identify a particular architectural era.
So I was jazzed to finally see some of the Roman era architecture with my own eyes (pre-Gothic times – Gothic is much more prevalent in Holland where I grew up)!

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A close up of the art work on the top of the Basilica

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Beautiful front  of the Saint Michele. On top the statue in the middle is the archangel Michael flanked on either side by an angel.
The church is on a square, and this restaurant patio at the edge of the square. What I like about the past centuries is that everything in a town or city was built around the church. Life was centered around the church, instead of a building and organization/organism standing by itself.

 

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The side and back tower of the romanesque building style of Saint Michele.
There are at least six other churches.

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the Mediterranean climate is very similar to where I live close to the coast of Southern California
so we saw similar things  such as vegetation, vegetables, fruit, vineyards, food. Also with flowers, like this Lantana here.
Lucca is in Tuscany, known for its legumes.

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Modified for Mandarin Orange and Orange TGIFriday
poster edge, ink outlines, smudge stick, and balance

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 Lucca is also the birthplace of the musician and composer Pucinni,
known for (romantic -classical) music for orchestra and opera (La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, etc).
Also for you history buffs – the sister of Napoleon had a house here in Lucca, and her garden can be visited.

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This wouldn’t be a post of Lucca if I didn’t show you how unbelievably narrow the streets are.
You can imagine why riding one’s bike (or scooter) is popular:)
This one is the main business street in the center: Villa Fillungo.
with a reflection in the car window of what is above:)
Mind you, this is not a van, but one of those narrow and short European cars.

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I’ll leisurely take a walk with my bike then!

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Thanks to the hosts

Sunday in my City  *
Blue Monday  *  Travel Photo  * whim. Windows and Doors  *
Mandarin Orange  *
Our World  * Blo-Ma  * Nature Notes  *
ABC – U  * Outdoor Wednesday  *Up and Down View  *
Thursday Little Things  *  Share the Joy  *  Alphabe – C  *
Friday Photo Journal * Sky Watch  * Orange Friday  *
Weekend Reflections  * Floral Friday Foto *
Todays Flowers * Pink Saturday  *  Maleviks  Showdown  *
Inspired Sunday  *