
ITINERARY
Bagni di Lucca

Located at approximately 50 km from the Villa is Bagni di Lucca, a charming and characteristic town known since the 1st Century BC for its thermal springs. The springs, which are situated in the valley of the Lima river, a tributary of the Serchio river, and whose waters contain bicarbonate sulphate and calcium, have many health benefits. They were made famous after the French Revolution thanks to Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon’s sister, who made Bagni di Lucca a resort and a reference point for social gatherings. The thermal springs of Bagni di Lucca are divided in two resorts: Terme di Jean Varraud and Casa Boccella.
As well as the thermal springs, Bagni di Lucca and the surrounding area offer attractive natural places of interest such as; Orrido di Botri, a spectacular chalk canyon at the foot of mounts Rondinaio and Tre Potenze, with steep sides that have been carved out by the cold waters of the Mariana and Ribellino torrents and the Strette di Cocciglia, where one can practice kayaking. Bagni di Lucca’s splendid past, from Medieval times to the Belle Époque, can still be seen in the many monuments among which are notable the Ponte delle Catene, an imposing and elegant structure with a variety of neoclassical decor; the English Church, built in the 19th Century when Bagni di Lucca was a Holiday resort for many English inhabitants; the Protestant Cemetery, filled with spectacular neomedieval style graves; the Demidoff Hospital, built at the request of Russian Prince Nicolaj Demidoff; and the historic Casino - Italy’s first - built in 1838-39.