The permanent exhibition “Re-Knowing the Walls” has been inaugurated in the basement of the Baluardo Santa Croce, the new widespread project of the municipal administration aimed at enhancing the areas and underground areas of the main city monument. During the inauguration, the event saw a large turnout of citizens and tourists, eager to discover the secrets of the Walls of Lucca. Present at the ribbon cutting were the councilors Remo Santini (Tourism and Walls), Mia Pisano (Culture) and Paola Granucci (Commerce), the historian Roberta Martinelli, curator of the project and Enrico Romiti of the Scientific Committee for the valorisation and protection of the urban walls , as well as Rodolfo Pasquini president of Confcommercio. The basement of Baluardo Santa Croce is ready to host this new adventure. The entrance, located in via delle Conce under the portico of the Santa Croce barracks, leads to the first gallery, where the “Striscia del Tempo” is located. This Corten installation, with texts in Italian and English, is accompanied by photos and images of ancient documents.
The strips highlight five crucial dates for the history of the Walls in the western area of the city. Inside the ancient tower, incorporated into the larger bastion, an evocative illustrated story is projected in a loop, produced by the illustrator Elisa Varretti, which describes the procedure with which the Lucca Republic opened and closed the three city gates every day. The second gallery, which leads to the parade ground, is characterized by ten panels that tell historical episodes and themes relating to the Walls.
These panels highlight the importance of the Walls for the city and its inhabitants over the centuries. At the end of the second gallery, near the sortie that rises from the stands, there are three panels that describe the place, the artillery used and the importance of the Lucca foundry in the production of weapons and ammunition. On the occasion of the inauguration, the Historica Lucense association animated the underground parade ground with seventeenth-century artillery pieces and costumed figures, offering visitors a practical demonstration of the use of the gunboat space. The ‘Re-Knowing the Walls’ project is only the first step of a larger project which will also involve the Porta San Donato Castle and the underground of Baluardo San Colombano.
King. Graz.
