The festival called Luminaria di Santa Croce centers around the display of "il Volto Santo," a wooden sculpture of Christ. Usually stored inside a special room in the Duomo di Lucca, Lucca's cathedral, the sculpture, along with others, is part of a procession through the medieval streets of Lucca from the Basilica of San Frediano to the Duomo. Participants are given large candles to light the way.
The afternoon of the festival is a time when many "cherry pickers" lift workmen up to the facades of houses in the walled city in order to allow them to install candles along the procession path. For the night of Luminaria, the streets along the path will be dark except for the candles lining doors and windows or held in the hands of the faithful as they walk through the streets, pausing occasionally to sing spiritual songs.
This is also the time of "Settembre Lucchese" when a special market fills the space next to San Michele in Foro, the ancient Roman forum. You can buy specialty foods, clothing, and festival eats in the market.
The date of the 2011 Luminaria also coincided with the grand re-opening of Puccini House and Museum, increasing the number of tourists in Lucca.
For us, it was a time we could view Lucca in a more "medieval" light. The warm evening had a romantic air to it, and we took pictures and video of the procession.
Follow along with the pictures and description of how this festival was put together. Luminaria is not so different from many religious festivals you might visit on your European vacation, so we hope this series enlightens you when you encounter one on your European vacation.
