Lucca, very charming city in northern Tuscany located on the banks of the Serchio river surrounded by the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, also known in the local area as Altopiano delle Pizzorne to the north and the Pisan Mountains to the south.
The city was an Etruscan settlement and then a Roman colony, a site then experienced flourishing periods during the Middle Ages, a period that left indelible traces in its historic center and also in its suburbs and city extra-radius.
I recommend starting the visit from the massive and imposing Renaissance walls developed between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that surround the city for over 4.2 kilometers formed by 12 curtains and 11 bastions, with a height of about 30.0 meters and a width of approximately 12.0 meters, a construction that was not purely developed for defensive purposes.
These walls are together with the cities of Bergamo, Ferrara and Grosseto one of the Italian cities to have an intact Renaissance city wall flanked by a wonderful tree-lined avenue with beeches, red oaks, horse chestnuts and magnolias with the nineteenth-century botanical garden near Porta Elisa directly connected to the walls.
Afterwards you can admire the majestic Tower of Guinici built with stone and brick, in a masterpiece in Romanesque style dating back to the fifteenth century with a height of 44.25 meters, the tallest of the towers of Lucca with the Tower of the Hours so called for its clock dating back to 1390 and linked to the legend of Lucida Mansi who according to a narratation sold her soul to the devil.
Continuation with the beautiful Cathedral of San Martino, a medieval masterpiece dating back to the 11th century that harmoniously combines the Romanesque and Gothic styles with a polychrome façade with a statue of San Martino sharing his cloak with a poor man while on the right side there is a sort of labyrinth connected to the myth of Ariadne and Theseus, a magnificent portico and three beautiful arches and next to it an imposing bell tower.
The interior with three naves is rich in masterpieces where a wonderful polychrome altar and a great work by the great master Domenico il Ghirlandaio painted in 1479 depicting the Madonna with the Child Jesus and Saints, the Last Supper by Tintoretto, the funeral monument dedicated to Ilaria del Carretto by Jacopo Della Quercia, the Temple of the Holy Face attributed to the local sculptor Matteo Civitali and the ancient crucifix of the Holy Face also known as Santa Croce which, according to a legend, was sculpted by Nicodemus with the help of God.
The nearby Cathedral Museum offers the opportunity to visit eight rooms among which the Treasury with the jewels of the Holy Face and that of the choirs and illuminated manuscripts stand out.
A short distance from the Cathedral is the Monumental and Archaeological Complex of the Church of San Giovanni and Santa Reparata dating back to 1110 of which only the large portal remains while the interior is a display of works and remains that chronologically narrate the history of Lucca.
Continuation with the splendid Piazza dell' Anfiteatro considered one of the most beautiful in Italy which takes up the ancient layout of the Roman amphitheater, transformed by the architect Nottolini starting from 1830 and you will notice the absence of large access roads with entrances consisting of four small doors.
You can continue the visit with the Church of San Michele in Foro, located on the square of the same name, developed between the 11th and 14th centuries. This church was erected on the site of the ancient Roman forum, hence the name.
A building that represents a masterpiece of Romanesque and Gothic architecture with a high façade adorned with four loggias and surmounted by a large marble statue depicting the Archangel with a spear facing a dragon and a local legend tells that depending on the light conditions you can see a sparkle on the statue.
Do not miss the Basilica of San Frediano, mentioned for the first time in a document of 685 as Basilica Longobardorum: it is said that it was erected by San Frediano, then bishop of the city between 560 and 588.
The façade is enlivened by a large mosaic dating back to the end of the 11th century, very rare in the Romanesque style depicting Christ the Redeemer ascending heaven in an almond carried by angels. In the middle of the depiction and style of the work is of Byzantine origin attributed to the artistic school of Lucca of the Berlinghieri.
The interior with three naves with two magnificent colonnades preserves remarkable works such as the Chapel dedicated to St. Augustine with fifteenth-century frescoes by the artist from Emilia Amico Aspertini, that of the Tenta family with the altar dossal and tombstones attributed to the master Jacopo della Quercia and a splendid baptismal font developed in the 12th century with reliefs depicting the stories of the Apostles,Moises and the Months.
Worth a visit is Palazzo Mansi, the national museum housed in an attractive palace of the 1600s that contains various rooms with frescoed apartments and a rich collection in the art gallery with more than eighty works donated to the city by Grand Duke Leopold II in 1847 after the annexation of Lucca to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
A visit to Lucca is not to be missed during a tour of Tuscany, a city that boasts a remarkable historical and artistic heritage and a great charm that conquers anyone at first sight, a unique destination that will remain indelibly etched in your memories.
Link : https://www.turismo.lucca.it/en/home-page
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation
San Luca Palace
Hotel Villa San Michele
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