Buia means dark or gloomy. Via Buia runs off Via Fillungo and it is narrow and a little dark. As well as some pretty clothing and jewellery shops it has excellent places to buy food.
vegetables and fruit at number 5
The food market at number 5 is always busy. It is easy to see why. The produce is fresh and inviting and while the shop it not very big, the selection is very good. The staff are helpful and are patient with those not familiar with shopping in Italy.
look at those zucchini flowers
I love artichokes
Further back towards Via Fillungo is Pizza Felice. Felice means happy and the pizzas here are very good and just could make you happy. You can buy by the slice, the very generous slice. You can also try cecina, a chick pea pancake. They are deliciously salty and oily and can be eaten alone or on a breadroll. If you are game you might try a chestnut pancake filled with ricotta. It is an acquired taste, one I don’t wish to acquire.
happy faces at Pizza Felice
Pizza Felice
Around the corner from Via Buia in Via S. Lucia is my favourite bread shop in Lucca. There is always a line of people waiting patiently to be served. When he saw my camera the delightful shop assistant went to the kitchen and produced a very large focaccia to show me. After the photo it was ceremoniously cut up and put in the window.
the very excellent bread shop
It’s all delicious
a man and his bread
Thanks Debra, all the efforts devoted to enhancing our work and the city of Lucca, with its activities and its art, sometimes for little local participation, is easily degraded and lost all the charm and potential that in other circumstances would be more than repaid with dignity … Thank you again!
Stephen and “Workshop of flavors”
By: Stefano di Officina dei sapori on April 26, 2010
at 12:32 pm
Hello Debra, I’m Emanuela The sister of Arianna (the girl in your picture) and i wish to thank you a lot for your comments of our pizza’s shop, you are very nice. Sorry for my english but i hope that you understand me. Further i hope to see you again in one of your holidays in Lucca.
Kiss
By: Emanuela pizzeria "da Felice" on June 8, 2010
at 9:12 pm
I will certainly be back for more pizza from Pizza da Felice. I’ll be back in September.
Debra
By: bagnidilucca on June 9, 2010
at 12:06 am
Thank you for sharing all these great shops. I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time just walking around Lucca since it was raining so hard almost every day. There’s a chance I may be back in the fall and if so I’m going to go to all of the these great places!
By: paninigirl on July 11, 2010
at 2:46 pm
Hi Panini Girl,
I will be in Italy in September and October. Perhaps we can have a pizza at Pizza Felice.
Deb
By: bagnidilucca on July 11, 2010
at 9:47 pm
[…] coffee is Di Simo on Via Fillungo near Via Buia. Puccini also liked to drink his coffee here. Via Buia is an excellent place to buy delicious pizza by the slice, or cecina, a flat chick pea pancake and […]
By: Lucca « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on March 21, 2011
at 5:34 pm