Home for the Rich and Famous and Powerful

For centuries, the Villa Reale has been home to Dukes and noble families of bankers and merchants from Lucca. In the early 19th century, Napolean’s sister, Elisa Bonaparte, lived here. The last owners, the Count and Countess Pecci Blunt, took ownership in 1923. The Pecci Blunts were jet setters and hosted parties attended by the “modern royalty”, including Salvador Dali, Picasso, Jackie Kennedy, the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Audrey Hepburn and Alberto Moravia. The place is immense and quite gorgeous, particularly the surrounding gardens. There is a woodland with a stream, a path lined with huge Camellia bushes, a lake, a ‘perfumed’ path lined with scented plants, a pool and pool house, fountains, a lemon garden, a spanish garden (and these are huge - with statues and fountains). There is a team of landscapers constantly at work keeping this place pruned, lovely and totally weed-free! The buildings and the extravagant furniture were also lovely, but I most enjoyed strolling about the extensive gardens.