A Storied Past

 

Modern Luxury

Catch a Glimpse of Yesteryear

At the Grand Universe Lucca, the hotel's past lives on in the present, allowing guests to be immersed in an evocative atmosphere that is steeped in history, where the classic and the modern come together. Since 1857, it has been a destination for poets, philosophers, and artists from Italy and abroad.
Now the hotel is preparing to host a whole new generation of clients who will be able to experience the excitement of staying in this property that has undergone a renovation that respects the traditions of a town that was the capital of silk-making in ancient times. Refined decorative elements, furnishings, and fabrics will bring back that understated elegance and charm that have always been the hotel's trademarks.

Lucca, a Journey Through the Eras

Lucca embodies a vivid blend of history, a testimony to past times, kingdoms and dominions, lying in a green valley just north west of Florence, at the foot of the Apuan Alps and less than half an hour from the coast of Versilia.
Lucca is one of the few places in the word embodying an extremely rich heritage from different historic eras, from antiquity, to the Middle Ages, from the Renaissance to Enlightment and then finally to contemporary times.

A History Untold

Grand Universe Lucca hotel, stands gracefully overlooking Piazza del Giglio and Piazza Napoleone, revealing the history untold. It has evolved through the millenniums, from a glassblower’s atelier in Roman times, to a majestic palazzo of the Paoli family during the Renaissance, turning into a monumental hotel in the mid-18th century.
Hotel Universo e Tosca, which was the original name of the hotel, first opened its doors in 1857. Located right opposite the famous Teatro del Giglio Operahouse, the hotel was a destination for artists, poets, philosophers and royalty from around the world. Intellectuals and philosophers like John Ruskin, Robin Collingwood, composers like Pietro Mascagni and Le-oncavallo, poets like Giuseppe Ungaretti.
Giacomo Puccini, was said to have been a frequent guest of the hotel in between his performances at the Teatro del Giglio.
Jazz legend of the 60s Chet Baker always stayed at the Hotel Universo, in room 15 where, sitting on the windowsill, he would often play his trumpet.
King Victor Emmanuel II, the king of united Italy from 1861-1878, once stopped at the hotel during a visit to Lucca. The owner went and introduced himself as the “owner of the Universe”. The king replied that he was merely “the humble king of a country”.
Piazza Del Giglio Lucca 55100
+39-0583-40041
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