Lucca

There is a special place in the heart of Tuscany for your extraordinary trip, among art, culture, traditions, enogastronomy and last but not least… beautiful landscapes!

We are speaking about Lucca, a town rich of history and art, surrounded by its walls. 4Km of defensive structure built in 1500 that give us today a fascinating and charming view on the historical centre.

Lucca is located in the northern part of Tuscany, easy achievable with the highway Firenze Mare.

You can’t avoid to visit this city once you are in Tuscany.

Every corner reveals the hidden symbols of the ancient history: from the Roman tracks (visible in the original Amphitheater square) to the medieval tracks visible in its palaces and in its fascinating religious buildings. Thanks to this, Lucca gained the name of “city of 100 churches”.

A place to discover, far away from the mess of the historical and artistic well-known cities like Florence or Pisa, but here you can breathe an attractive and, sometimes, enigmatic vibe. The historical events are also quite different from the other Tuscan cities. Lucca was the centre point street that linked Europe to Rome, it guards still today memories and symbols of a period marked by a lot of faith trips.

A history full of tales and mysteries. In the  XIX century Lucca become famous for another reason, the music! It was born here, in the little “court” of San Lorenzo, in 1858, one of the major and most significant Opera masters of the historical Italian music, Giacomo Puccini, that is still honored thanks to the creation of the House Museum Puccini.

Lucca has also an organization of the unique and permanent music festival in the world, Puccini and his Lucca, operas and concerts where Madame Butterfly, Boheme, and other well known operas are produced during the year, in the outstanding church of Saints Giovanni and Reparata. A musical tradition that go back in the history, and, still today, brings to Lucca a great number of people thanks to its musical events.

We all know the most important musical event: the Lucca summer festival, that is held every July since 1998. A series of spectacular concerts that are made in the historical centre or along the walls. The festival has seen during these years, famous artists such as: David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Rolling Stones and so on.

Another important event that is held in Lucca and brings around 300.000 visitors is Lucca comics, international fair of cartoon, animation and fantasy. Considered one of the most important fair in the Italian sector, first in Europe and second in the world after the Comiket of Tokyo.

What to see in a day in Lucca

you can visit all its Romanesque churches, above all the beautiful Cathedral of San Martino, that shields two fundamental masterpieces for the city: “Il Volto Santo”, crucified reliquary, that has been for ages the destination of pilgrims from all over the world and the famous “sleeping beauty of Lucca”, the funeral monument of Ilaria del Carretto of the Master Jacopo della Quercia.

After this visit, you should go to the famous San Michele in Foro, that is situated in the homonimy square. A church rich of decorations with medieval background and the Cathedral of San Frediano, the graveyard of very important people in the history of the city.

We should then cross the Anfiteatro square, a top place in tourism but also a place of reunion for the citizens, where one should stop here to breathe just an imaginary lifestyle. Its shape is the same of the Roman Amphitheatre, built in the Flavia period. A great engineering work, started in the nineteenth century. This amphitheatre has changed this place in the most attractive and famous spot of Lucca.

The visit could finish with a lovely walk along the city walls, watching the historical centre and resting in the shadows of the trees.

If you have more days to visit the city, you can go to one of the National Museums of Villa Mansi and Villa Guinigi, but you can also go out of the city where you will find a lot of surprises.

What to see in Lucca and in the surroundings

Lucca surroundings give to the tourist, that loves nature, beautiful experiences. The northern area of the city, Garfagnana, is probably the most “green” area of Tuscany. A place rich in legends where the history of its inhabitants reveals how many times they had a fight with the other inhabitants of those times for having the power.

Here, in the middle of this “green” area you can find places such as Barga, Castelnuovo Garfagnana or Bagni di Lucca. Some of these little villages are on the top of the surrounding hills, offering historical beauties and fantastic views, far from the mass tourism. Going back to the plain and turning towards the East, in the common of Capannori, you will find Montecarlo a little medieval village that owns its name thanks to a great Emperor that made a lot of things for the city, Charles IV of Luxembourg.

Here, from the top of the Fortress of Cerruglio, the eye can see a beautiful panorama, typical of Tuscany. A village that has been fundamental for the history of Lucca and today takes part in the area of DOC wines. This has created the name of the street called the Street of olive oil and wine, being at the first place in the production of DOC wines in all the area. You can taste a glass of San Giovese or Trebbiano wine, whilst you are admiring the panorama.

Always in the common of Capannori, to be precise at Marlia, just 10km from Lucca you will find a restored jewel. This has contributed to taking back the glorious time of these ancient houses. In fact, there is Villa Reale, one of most ancient and luxurious villas of the territory. A pretentious name, that includes the history of this building and of those who lived here. For example Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte sister of Napoleon and princess of Lucca and Piombino, she bought in 1806 this villa to make her own Versaille. A visit rich with charm that will bring you back to the past.