Palazzo Pfanner – stroll in baroque gardens

Close to San Frediano church is the Palazzo Pfanner, a delightful 17th-century Lucchese residence, named after a former owner, an Austrian brewer. The sumptuous mansion and Italian-style baroque gardens were designed for a wealthy merchant family. Highlights inside include swathes of 17th-century Lucchese silk in the bedrooms and beer-making equipment in the cellar – the palace was used as a brewery until 1929. The gardens, created around 1700, perhaps by Filippo Juvarra, display such features as a Roman sarcophagus and statues of the Four Seasons. The ornamental pool, lemon house, magnolia and rose gardens form a charming backdrop to the mansion. If pressed for time, you can catch a glimpse of the lovely garden and external staircase by climbing onto the city walls behind San Frediano church and walking left for a short distance. Unsurprisingly, the gardens have appeared in several films, including Portrait of a Lady, based on the Henry James’ novel of the same name. If there in summer, do attend a concert of chamber music in the gardens.

Address: Via degli Asili 33, Lucca
Web: www.palazzopfanner.it