Ducal Palace - Lucca
| Address : | Cortile Carrara, 1 - Lucca |
| Phone: | 0583 417363 |
| Fax: | 0583 417231 |
| Web: | www.palazzoducale.lucca.it |
| E-Mail: | info@palazzoducale.lucca.it |
The Palazzo Ducale has been the centre of political and city life in Lucca for eight centuries. Following the major restoration work begun in 1998, it now not only presents a review of the history of Lucca which is open to the city and its inhabitants, but is also a centre for numerous cultural, artistic and social events.
Since the beginning of 2000, the staterooms have annually hosted exhibitions, meetings, concerts and educational activities chiefly directed at highlighting important aspects of the Province’s history and culture and promoting creativity and contemporary art.
It is the most beautiful palace: Ducal Palace, also called Palazzo della Signoria (at the times of the Republic) or simply Palazzo Pubblico, now office of the Province.
Its story is quite tormented because it rose on part of the area occupied by the Augusta fortress (which we spoke about in the chapter re¬garding the walls) and was commissioned by Castruccio Castracani in 1322. At his death, though, the foreign rulers took over and this made the citizens identify the building with a symbol of slavery; so, as soon as they could, the people demolished it and left only the Palazzo Signo¬rile.
This is where the Main Council met and even where the Gonfalonier lived; it is also the headquarter of the arsenal of the "Ministry of Finances" and of the secret archive (called Tarpea).
