Villa Torrigiani

This guide to Villa Torrigiani in Lucca centers on Nicolao Santini, a Lucchese ambassador who returned from the court of Louis XIV determined to build his own miniature Versailles. It follows the pools, aviary and hidden grotto he built into the garden, and the game he liked to play on unsuspecting guests who arrived believing themselves simply friends invited to admire the fountains. Look for the domed Temple of Flora and the stairway beside it, where the trick once waited.