Discovering Cammelias
Not everyone knows that here in Lucca we have a small corner of Japan. We are talking about the villages of Pieve and Sant’Andrea di Compito, in the municipality of Capannori, in the province of Lucca, known together as the Borgo delle Camelie. In fact, it is in this valley that up to a thousand different types of camellias grow and there is even a cultivation of Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant!
At the end of the eighteenth century this splendid flower arrives in Lucca and finds here a perfect environment and climate to grow and blossom and it is therefore cultivated in all the most important residences of the time.
Today, to protect the botanical heritage that has been forming over the centuries, the Camellietum was born, a 10 thousand square meter garden that houses a thousand cultivars of camellias, from the nineteenth century to the present day and from all over the world.
The best time to visit this paradise is during flowering, between March and April, when every year the village hosts the Antiche Camellie della Lucchesia exhibition which this year reaches its 33rd edition.
It is the perfect opportunity to discover the many treasures of the Borgo delle Camelie, such as the gardens of Villa Borrini, Villa Giovanneti, Villa Torregrossa and Villa Orsi. The walking path that leads to Capo di Vico, the oldest part of Sant’Andrea di Compito, is also splendid; there the sources and the bridge over the Visona river are located: the path that runs along the small river is embellished by the presence of centuries-old trees. of camellias. Obviously you cannot miss a visit to one of the very few tea plantations that exist in Italy and the only one in Tuscany: the Antica Chiusa Borrini.
To spend days of complete relaxation surrounded by greenery and nature, we would be happy to host you in Montecarlo di Lucca, at the Buonamico Wine Resort which is located just 20 minutes from the above mentioned village. In this case you would pass from the colors of the camellias to the green of our vineyards in which the resort is immersed with our Syrah Restaurant, and from the relaxation of tea to the lightheartedness of our wines that you will find for tasting in our cellar.
Buonamico Wine Resort has 11 rooms, each with a terrace overlooking the vineyards or an outdoor swimming pool, where you can relax and maybe enjoy a glass of our wines. You cannot miss the SPA, where you can relax sipping a herbal tea or, once again, enjoying a glass, perhaps of bubbles. At the restaurant our Maitre Andrea Minuti, together with the entire staff, will be able to welcome you and advise you on the combinations of the wines offered and the various dishes, prepared with zero-kilometer ingredients and revisited in a gourmet key. An opportunity for a weekend out of the ordinary, which will delight you and satisfy all your 5 senses!
