Napoleone's ghost in Lucca... hunted by the Ghostbuster

Lucca seems to be particularly sought after by ghosts. Just think of Lucinda Mansi, the nobleman who in the sixteenth century apparently sold her soul to the devil and is now haunting the pond at the Botanical Garden. But the ghost that has been recently wandering through the city is surely one that does not easily go unnoticed: it is supposedly no less than Napoleon Bonaparte. It is widely known that the French General always had a rather close relationship with Lucca, which was under his sister Elisa’s rule. His home was Ducal Palace, the current seat of the Province Authority. There is also a myth about a statue that apparently had Napoleon very upset! The square was named after him and still bears the name, but originally it should have contained an imposing statue of Napoleon. Unfortunately, time ran out, and the Congress of Vienna sanctioned the passage of Lucca from the Principality to the Duchy, and Maria Luisa Borbone’s statue was erected in place of Napoleon’s.

The fact is that Napoleon's ghost was seen right in the vicinity of the Ducal Palace and Maria Luisa’s statue. The first sighting supposedly occurred on January 24th, 2017 at dusk. In all honesty, have you ever seen a ghost in full daylight? He appeared to a group of people and spoke to them in French. Our ghost was rather lucky to bump into some residents from Lucca who could speak French! Convinced they could understand him, he told them about a mysterious prophecy on the city of Lucca. The other sighting seems to have occurred exactly near the statue of Maria Luisa Borbone. This was a shadow that spoke Italian. I know what you're thinking! Are you convinced that in both cases it was just the usual prankster from Tuscany? After the story of Modigliani's masks, we certainly cannot blame you.

People from Lucca, however, are a meticulous folk and have called in some ghostbusters. These are the National Ghost Uncover, an association grouping both sceptics and believers in ectoplasms who share a common desire to seek the truth. They arrived in Lucca wearing white shirts and equipped with strange devices. Whether this is a prank of a group of friends or, as happened in the past, a nutter who really believes he is Napoleon, the NGU’s experts will soon find out. See you in the next episode!

I almost forgot something! If you want to discover the fantastic city of Lucca, perhaps accompanied by an expert local guide, book our 'Daily excursion to Lucca and Pisa from Florence' for an unforgettable day!