Villa Bottini

Villa Bottini, also known as Villa Buonvisi, is a beautiful villa in Lucca, located in Via Elisa, near the medieval Porta San Gervasio.

SHORT HISTORY

The villa was built by Bernardino Buonvisi in the second half of the 16th century. In the following centuries, the building undergone various vicissitudes, remaining closed and abandoned for a long time.

At the beginning of the 19th century, it was purchased by Elisa Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon. In the early 20th century, it became the property of the Marquises Bottini of Lucca. Subsequently, it passed to the Motroni-Andreozzi family, and then to the Marcheschi family.

Finally, it was bought by the region of Tuscany which, after the restoration, ceded it to the Municipality of Lucca. Now it is open to the public, and is used as a representative area of the Municipality and seat of the Culture Office.

ARCHITECTURE

The building has a large garden, and is enclosed by a wall with kneeling windows and three portals built in Renaissance style. The main portal is located on Via Elisa, while the other two are located on the sides of the garden.

Villa Bottini has a rectangular shape, surmonted by a belvedere loggia. Inside the building, on the ground floor, there is a cycle of frescoes with mythological and allegorical scenes, created by the painter Ventura Salimbeni in the last years of the 16th century.

The layout of the garden, divided by the villa in two areas, dates back to the 19th century. The widest part of the garden consists of flower beds outlined by avenues. At the intersection of the avenues, there is a small octogonal basin.

HOW TO GET THERE

Villa Bottini is located about 900 meters away from the Lucca railway station. The closest bus stop is Del Fosso 4, located about 50 meters away, near Porta San Gervasio, on the bus Line LAM Rossa.