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Site & Content
©2002-7 Learn Italy Ltd. |
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cercate il sito Learn Italy della Societa Dante Alighieri
- Comitato di Siena, clickare qui
www.learnitaly.com |
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| Lucca is among
the most beautiful and best preserved medieval cities in Italy.
Its proud history and prosperity make it a most attractive centre
for a short visit. The old town is tucked inside an intact ring
of massive defensive sixteenth- and seventeenth-century walls.
With its towers, palazzi, ancient squares and narrow car-free
streets, as well as excellent shops, cafes and restaurants,
this is a rewarding and fascinating place to explore. A walk
or bicycle ride along the tree-lined ramparts provides a marvellous
perspective on this compact, peaceful and intriguing town. |
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| Lucca is not a
town wholly dedicated to tourism, such as Florence or Venice,
but for the discriminating visitor there is plenty to see and
enjoy, and one purpose of this weekend is to relax and take
pleasure in the unique qualities of Lucca's historic centre,
with its square built around a Roman amphitheatre, and its streets
of medieval houses and Liberty shops, Italy's version of Art
Nouveau. The most remarkable feature of the city is the number
of exceptionally beautiful and well preserved Romanesque churches.
San Michele in Foro stands at the city-centre, with a three-tiered
façade of twisted and fantastically carved columns, every
one different and a delight to the eye. The cathedral of San
Martino is another astonishing Romanesque work, its façade
filled with thirteenth-century sculpture. These buildings and
their contents will be the focus for the study aspect of this
weekend. The particular development of Lucca's Tuscan examples
of the Romanesque will be explained in terms of the general
development of art and architecture in Italy and Western Europe.
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| For the sake of
comparison we will spend two half days looking at other examples
of eleventh- and twelfth-century architecture. On our way to
Lucca, we will visit Pisa's campo dei miracoli - the tower,
baptistery and cathedral that comprise the most famous examples
of Tuscan Romanesque. Our second visit will be to nearby Pistoia,
another small medieval city with a very fine Romanesque cathedral
and baptistery at its centre. In the church of San Giovanni
Fuorcivitas there are more excellent examples of sculpture by
Giovanni Pisano and Guglielmo di Pisa. |
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| Tutor for the weekend
will be Dr Cathy Oakes from Oxford University's Department for
Continuing Education, an expert on Romanesque architecture.
A recently refurbished and modernised hotel just inside the
city walls has been chosen for our group stay. |
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| Per person,
single use of double room: |
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| Per person,
sharing a double room: |
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| three nights bed and
breakfast in a four-star hotel in Lucca; |
| lectures on the art and
architecture of Lucca, Pisa and Pistoia; |
| train travel to Pistoia; |
| coach travel between Pisa
airport and Lucca; |
| coach travel between Oxford
and Gatwick (provided that enough people wish to depart
from Oxford). |
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| These prices do
not include the flight to Italy. Flights on British Airways
from Gatwick to Pisa currently cost about £112. Tickets
on a designated flight can be bought over the net or via our
chosen travel agent, and the price will depend on when the traveller
chooses to make their purchase, the sooner the better. Some
group meals will be organised at cost price.
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Please note that this is an archived holiday
which has now passed. For our current holidays,
please click here.
To return to Archived Holidays, please click here.
To register your interest for a future Learn
Italy holiday similar holiday to this, please
contact us here.
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| ©2002-7 Learn Italy
Ltd. |
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Guideline prices, excluding flights: