Official Information
Official website: https://villarealedimarlia.it/
Online tickets: https://shop.villarealedimarlia.it/en/
Address: Via Fraga Alta 2, 55014 Marlia (Capannori, LU), Italy
Map: View on Google Maps
Opening Hours
The villa and park operate seasonally; in recent years the complex has been open daily roughly from March to October, with hours around 10:00–18:00 for the park and slightly shorter hours for the villa interiors, plus limited weekend openings in parts of the shoulder seasons. Last entry is typically 60–90 minutes before closing; check the official site’s Times and Prices and Buy Online Ticket pages for exact dates and hours.
Villa Reale di Marlia is a historic villa and landscape garden just north of Lucca that combines aristocratic architecture, romantic parkland and careful restoration. For centuries it was a residence of Lucchese nobles, but it reached its greatest splendour when Napoleon’s sister Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Princess of Lucca and Piombino, made it her country seat in the early 19th century. Today visitors can explore both the extensive grounds and key interiors, getting a sense of how fashion and taste evolved from the late Renaissance to the Belle Époque. The park is divided into a series of themed gardens and avenues that unfold around the villa. You can wander through formal spaces like the Teatro d’Acqua, with its water features and clipped hedges, the Lemon Garden lined with historic terracotta pots, and the more naturalistic English-style lawns and woodland. One of the distinctive features is the Camellia Walk, with hundreds of camellia plants that are especially spectacular in early spring, making the estate a key stop on the Lucca camellia route. Scattered pavilions, statues and sightlines frame views of the surrounding hills, while quiet corners invite slower strolling or picnics. Inside the restored villa, selected rooms are open to visitors, showing period furnishings, wall decorations and the layering of styles from Elisa’s Neoclassical tastes through later owners. Exhibitions and interpretive panels explain the estate’s history, including its use as a royal residence, periods of decline and the recent restoration effort that reopened it to the public. Because the property is large, it rewards an unhurried visit of at least two to three hours, especially if you enjoy garden photography or simply being outdoors. There is a café and visitor services on site, and access is easiest by car or organised transfer, though taxis from Lucca are also possible. Tickets can be bought online via the villa’s official shop, often with options for park only or park plus museums. For travellers who like historic gardens, villas and quieter countryside experiences that still fit into a Lucca-based itinerary, Villa Reale di Marlia is a standout, combining botanical interest, landscape design and Napoleonic history in one place.