Palazzo Pfanner stands out in a Lucca, a largely medieval city, as a beautiful baroque palace and gardens. It was begun in 1660 for the Moriconi family, silk merchants and nobility from the town. However, they were then forced to sell the building in 1680 due to a sudden change in fortune and financial situation. The Controni family then moved in. Having recently acquired a noble title, they marked their own change of fortune by renovating and enlarging the building.
If you want to admire the extraordinary job that they did in transforming and perfecting the palace, why not find a luxury villa in Lucca and drop by?
If you want to admire the extraordinary job that they did in transforming and perfecting the palace, why not find a luxury villa in Lucca and drop by?
Domenico Martinelli from Lucca, was probably the architect chosen to build the monumental main staircase which was completed around 1686 and Filippo Juvarra from Messina is likely who was put in charge of designing the garden. Sadly, we cannot be entirely sure of either attribution, or, in fact, many of the attributed artists and architects who worked on the building. However, we can still admire their skill, whoever they may have been.
That same grand staircase has vaults decorated by early eighteenth-century paintings which have been attributed to Bartolomeo De Santi and Lorenzo Castellotti.
That same grand staircase has vaults decorated by early eighteenth-century paintings which have been attributed to Bartolomeo De Santi and Lorenzo Castellotti.
The main hall of the Palazzo is covered in frescoes painted around 1720 by Pietro Paolo Scorsini and exemplifies the quadraturist school. Quadraturism, highly fashionable in Lucca from the late seventeenth century on, was a method of creating the illusion of the expansion of space using architectonic elements painted in perspective.
Aside from the stunning decoration of the palace, it is also known for being the location of the tormented love affair between Prince Frederick of Denmark and the noblewoman Maria Maddalena Trenta from Lucca, in 1692.
The Pfanner family, for whom the palace is now named, became involved with the building in the middle of the nineteenth century. In 1845, the Duke of Lucca, Carlo Lodovico di Borbone, requested “a German brewer” for himself and for the people of Lucca. Felix Pfanner, an Austrian brewer originally from Bavaria decided to rent the garden and the cellars of the Palazzo from the Controni family in order to set up his machinery and the necessary equipment for brewing beer.
Sales went so well that he was able to buy the palazzo and it became the official headquarters of the Pfanner Brewery. This was the first beer manufacturer in Lucca and one of the first in Italy. After several decades of activity, the brewery, sadly, closed in 1929.
The Palazzo is still the property of the Pfanner family, however, who lives there and maintains the building, opening it to the public and organising events. The building is open daily from March to October and is also a museum to its rich history. It has also been the site of the filming of several movies including Jane Campion's “Portrait of a Lady”. Additionally with stunning gardens, it's a must-see in Lucca!
Aside from the stunning decoration of the palace, it is also known for being the location of the tormented love affair between Prince Frederick of Denmark and the noblewoman Maria Maddalena Trenta from Lucca, in 1692.
The Pfanner family, for whom the palace is now named, became involved with the building in the middle of the nineteenth century. In 1845, the Duke of Lucca, Carlo Lodovico di Borbone, requested “a German brewer” for himself and for the people of Lucca. Felix Pfanner, an Austrian brewer originally from Bavaria decided to rent the garden and the cellars of the Palazzo from the Controni family in order to set up his machinery and the necessary equipment for brewing beer.
Sales went so well that he was able to buy the palazzo and it became the official headquarters of the Pfanner Brewery. This was the first beer manufacturer in Lucca and one of the first in Italy. After several decades of activity, the brewery, sadly, closed in 1929.
The Palazzo is still the property of the Pfanner family, however, who lives there and maintains the building, opening it to the public and organising events. The building is open daily from March to October and is also a museum to its rich history. It has also been the site of the filming of several movies including Jane Campion's “Portrait of a Lady”. Additionally with stunning gardens, it's a must-see in Lucca!
Photo credits
picture 1: Guerinf / CC BY-SA 4.0;
picture 2: Daderot / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Targeman / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 1: Guerinf / CC BY-SA 4.0;
picture 2: Daderot / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Targeman / CC BY-SA 3.0
