The Church of San Franceschetto in Lucca hosts the Nobili Svaghi exhibition, which displays the splendid painting in which the Lucchese painter Camillo Ciai immortalised the historic football match played in his city on 18 January 1662, on the occasion of the visit of the Archdukes of Austria. Conceived by the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, which recently purchased the work and decided to share its beauty and singularity, the exhibition tells us about a very particular event and, through it, 17th century Lucca between curiosities, customs , and entertainment.

The background: in Lucca on 18 January 1662 a great event was expected: the visit of Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria and Innsbruck (1628-1662). The illustrious guest, expected together with his wife Anna de' Medici and daughter Claudia Felicita, was hosted in the Buonvisi and Busdraghi palaces and to entertain him it was decided to organize a spectacular football match, a practice which at the time already boasted an important tradition in Lucca and a large legislature that regulated its conduct. Ciai's canvas presents that specific match of 1662 framed in a theatrical curtain. You can recognize the Walls, the Baluardo di San Regolo, the sumptuous setting, tasty scenes with almost caricatural characters that characterized these occasions and, on the right, the guest, Ferdinando Carlo, standing to better watch the game. A canvas to be enjoyed in its entirety, in the myriad of details and scenes that were meant to tickle the gaze of the client, the same Archduke who had wanted this gigantic "souvenir postcard" for himself.

The exhibition is a little jewel and can be visited from November 25th to January 7th, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 7pm. Extraordinary openings on Friday 8 December and Tuesday 26 December, always from 10am to 7pm and on Sunday 31 December from 10am to 5pm. MORE INFO