The inauguration of the permanent exhibition is scheduled for Wednesday (19 June) at 5pm Re-Knowing the Wallsthe new widespread project of the municipal administration for the enhancement of the entrances and underground areas of the main city monument. Instead, a preview was held today (17 June) in the presence of the mayor Mario Pardiniof the councilors Remo Santini, Moreno Bruni and Mia Pisano, with responsibility respectively for the valorization of the Walls and for historical culture Roberta Martinelli, curator of the project, e Maria Paola Bellinidirector of the State Archives of Lucca.
In fact, the set-up works were completed in underground of the Santa Croce bastion (access near Porta San Donato), the first step of the project, where citizens and visitors will find a path of images and texts along the two galleries and in the centre, with panels made of cor-ten steel and with some projections of a narrative nature (in the area of the tower) with the story of the system and protocols that supervised the moment of opening and closing of the doors in the city at the time of the Republic of Lucca and, in the parade ground, some panels on military operation of the defensive structure.
“The importance – says the curator Roberta Martinelli – is twofold. Meanwhile, we rediscover a place that is fascinating in itself and that very few cities have. Secondly, this place that was previously silent. Now, however, he speaks to everyone, he speaks in Italian and English, because we designed it both for the people of Lucca and for tourists. It is a very measured setup, which does not invade the structure of the underground and actually allows us to understand it better. A choice of topics was made, always based on documents, but which can give many ideas for both the people of Lucca to rediscover the walls. as the name of the project says, both for tourists to be fascinated by this wonderful city”.
“The process of valorising the Walls continues – adds tourism councilor Remo Santini. This is the first step towards other underground areas which will be enhanced with an economic commitment totally borne by the municipal administration. And we hope that both the people of Lucca are encouraged to rediscover the history of the Walls and that tourists can enjoy this spectacle. of this unique and evocative environment that makes us truly unique in the world”.
The opening will be from morning to late afternoon, then the doors will close. Entrance is currently free.
“This permanent exhibition is part of a project to enhance our Walls – he concludes the mayor Mario Pardini – as we announced two years ago. It is not a point of arrival but a starting point, because the idea is that the underground spaces will become increasingly usable for all of us, for the citizens and for our tourists precisely because the valorisation of the historic walls must be an important element of this administration precisely for the rediscovery of our history, our roots and our traditions”.
On the occasion of the inauguration of the route Re-Knowing the Walls on Wednesday, the association Historica Lucense he will be present in the basement parade ground with some seventeenth-century artillery pieces and some costumed figures to illustrate and explain the use of the gunboat space to visitors.
The Walls therefore remain at the center of administrative action, with an ambitious initiative that they will represent a refined tourist reception tool and will be able to tell the story of the history and secrets of the city walls.
The places identified for the design and implementation of the cultural-tourism project are the ones already mentioned underground of the Santa Croce bastion, the Castle of Porta San Donato nuova and the underground of the San Colombano bastion.
The space used for the tourist reception of the new Porta San Donato Castle will in fact be equipped with interactive tools for the narration, with which it will be illustrated the miracle of San Paolino, patron saint of the city, through details of the painting which is still preserved today in the church of the same name. The second phase of the project, which will materialize in the coming months, will instead involve the suggestive underground of the San Colombano bastion, which will host an exhibition on the symbols, the events of the city, the sixteenth-century Fabbrica delle Mura and on the relationship of the inhabitants with the monument from the sixteenth century to today. This venue will be set up with multimedia elements, models and models, reconstructions of tools and weapons from objects present in Italian museums.
A totem will also be installed with a plan of the city and the Walls, with indication and description of the main places.
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