Italian architect and engineer. He was active mainly in Lucca, and is known for his work in the field of water systems management. He designed also the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, one of the most popular tourist attractions of Lucca.
The present palazzo was erected on the site of a medieval fortress. In 1577 Bartolomeo Ammanati planned a four-cornered building with a central courtyard. This palazzo was unfinished; the north and west wings were not built because of a lack of funds. It remained unfinished until 1728, when a local architect carried out a plan for a second courtyard.
The palazzo was significantly improved when, at the Restoration, Maria Louise of Bourbon arrived in Lucca in 1817 with a court that was to energize the life of the city. The artist in charge was the architect Lorenzo Nottolini, and he carried out a number of spectacular works, such as the staircase with a vault decorated in the Rococo style.
