Historic Garzoni Gardens
Busts of Emperors
On the plan drawn in 1797 by Giuseppe Duccini and conserved in the State Archives of Lucca, these are twelve in number and could recall the series of emperors consecrated by the stories of Suetonius, that is Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. At the time, as well as being framed by the hedges behind, the twelve busts were also marked out by large vases placed symmetrically on the balcony below. Today the avenue appears as shown in the watercolour in the Poschi Meuron collection, that is with seventeen busts of various personages, nine male alternated with eight female. Given the current condition of the sculptures, partly ruined and often clumsily restored, it is hard to identify the figures, especially the female personages.