Teatro del Giglio

This imposing building houses the Teatro del Giglio, one of the rare examples of a public theatre that has operated almost without interruption in the same structure for more than three centuries. The theatre owes its current name, “del Giglio”, to the lily featured in the coat of arms of the Bourbon family, who initiated its reconstruction after a fire. The interior follows the traditional Italian layout with several tiers of boxes offering acoustics that are widely regarded as excellent, and the venue is closely linked to composer Giacomo Puccini, who was born in Lucca in 1858, but he is not the only historical figure present in this square. Behind you stands a statue of Garibaldi, a name that may sound familiar, as a major figure of the Italian Risorgimento he became involved early on in revolutionary movements for the unification of Italy, which forced him into exile. He later fought in South America before returning to Europe to take part in the Italian wars of independence, and in 1860 he led the Expedition of the Thousand, landing in Sicily with a thousand volunteers in red shirts and contributing decisively to the unification of the country. Considered one of the fathers of the Italian nation, he remains today an iconic figure of its national history.