Exhibition of "The old Camelie of Lucchesia"

Exhibitions, concerts, tastings of local produce and walks in the nature together with the real protagonist of the event: the camellia. The Mostra delle Antiche Camelie della Lucchesia takes place every March, attracting every year thousands of visitors from all over Italy and Europe, and a great interest worldwide.

The event is promoted by Centro Culturale Compitese and the City of Capannori, and it is a reason of pride for the Compitese area, heart of the event.

The Village of the Camellias

The exhibition, that will have its 30th edition in 2019, takes place in Sant'Andrea and Pieve di Compito, called 'Village of the Camellias'. These two hamlets have been left unchanged through the centuries. They are located at the foot of Monte Pisano, in an area defined by green landscapes, water springs and streams, and heavenly quiet. The event is also hosted in the historical villas of Capannori and in the city of Lucca.

A great variety of century old camellia trees that recall the Far East. Their colours touch the visitor, and the names of the flowers call to mind surreal characters and places. To fully discover this flower, a number of scientific conferences are organised every year, as well as guided tours to the camelietum or walks into the nearby woods. It is also possible to admire some the peculiar elements of the Village, such as the Chiusa Borrini, where there is the only tea plantation in Italy, and the Fabbrica delle Camelie, the greenhouse where the varieties of the camelietum are grown.

Visitors have access to the gardens of some of the villas of the area, veritable architectural masterpieces, such as Villa Borrini, Villa Giovannetti, Villa Torregrossa and Villa Orsi, where it is possible to take part to the tea ceremony, a Japanese activity more than 1500 years old.

In the Village of the Camellias there are many historical and architectural sites of interest, and among them there is the watching tower of Sant'Andrea, a tenth-twelfth century building located in a dominant position, once used to send fire and smoke signals to Lucca in case of imminent danger.

The gardens and parks of Tuscany, of the area of Lucca in particular, have many camellias from the nineteenth century. Since they were first introduced in the eighteenth century, camellias have had a great success due to their adaptation to our climate, perennial green leaves and wonderful colours. In Tuscany there are many cultivar (or man made varieties), also imported from abroad.

The camelietum

Pride of the Village of the Camellias is the Camelietum Compitese, home to more than 1000 cultivar over a 10,000 m2 area, from the nineteenth century until present day. It has been recognised as a Garden of excellence for its unique characteristics, a honour bestowed to only 40 gardens in the world, 14 of which in Europe.

The Camelietum gives visitors the chance to discover the flower from a botanical perspective, giving insights on its history and spread in the territory of Capannori since the nineteenth century. The main goal is to ensure the flower is well protected and preserved.

Exhibition of "The old Camelie of Lucchesia" 2018

The 2018 edition will have a very busy schedule over four weekends instead of the usual three organised so far. These are the dates: 10-11 March, 17-18 March, 24-25 March, and the grand finale over Easter holidays: 31 March, 1-2 April.

Exhibition of "The old Camelie of Lucchesia" 2019

The 30th edition of the exhibition will take place in March 2019. It is a historical goal for the event, that will have a programme to mirror the importance of the result. The programme is still to be defined, but it will strengthen the bond between Capannori and the camellias.