The chestnut groves around Luzzana protect a village whose origins date back as far as 2,000 B.C. Here, art has a special place and is expressed in very unusual ways!
Where the village of Luzzana now stands, an inscription from the Neolithic period was found on an oval-shaped boulder, dating back to around 2,000 B.C., probably the record of a primordial calendar. The earliest documents in which the name Luzzana appears date back to the year 886 when, in some land sale deeds, this toponym for the village is mentioned. However, the most important historical remains date back to medieval times, when there were bloody battles between Guelph and Ghibelline factions.
The major piece of architecture from that period is the Giovannelli Castle, originating from the 13th century, which dominates the village with its tower surrounded by walls with loopholes. Other monuments running back to the Middle Ages are the houses Casa Mazzi and Casa Gobetti, on the municipal boundary with Trescore Balneario.
In the 19th century, the parish church of San Bernardino da Siena was built. It contains several valuable paintings, including the Madonna Enthroned and the Crucifixion by Francesco Zucco.
Contemporary art has a special place in Luzzana due to the works of artists Giosuè and Alberto Meli and Ester Gaini presented by the Meli Museum housed in the Giovannelli Castle. Also famous is Giosuè Meli’s sculpture “Il Gigante” (The Giant), a mammoth human figure set in the rock, which is sited in the park named after him.
Finally, one of the town’s distinctive features is the presence of many chestnut groves in the area, which ensures a significant production of chestnuts that are gathered on the slopes of Mount Misma.
