Lucca, Tuscany
On our road trip to Italy we stopped of for a few days in Lucca. Unlike many towns in Italy, like San Gimignano or Perugia it isn’t on a hill top (which makes it much easier to get around) but unlike those hill towns it does have a magnificent city wall. Lucca’s walls, unlike Florence’s, have been well maintained over the centuries and today offer a stunning tree lined promenade on which the locals regularly stroll, sit on the numerous benches to chat, cycle with their families or just enjoy a picnic. It is a truly idyllic setting overlooking the old medieval town.
The magnificent and intact circuit of walls was built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They run for more than 4 kilometres and are strengthened by 10 Bastions. You park outside the city walls and access the city via one of the bastions.
Lucca isn’t top of most tourists list of places to go and if you only have a few days in Tuscany then Sienna, Pisa, San Gimignano and Florence will come first, as indeed it was for us. We only had a couple of days there but we wished we’d had longer. If you are familiar with Lucca you may know it because of it’s Music Festival which this year hosted the likes of Liam Gallagher, Kasabian, Robert Plant and Justin Bieber. The day we were there John Legend was performing. Next year they have already bagged Celine Dion in July.
Of course we weren’t aware of this festival till the day we arrived! We could have bought standing only tickets with restricted view for €164 to see John Legend but we decided against it. Can’t imagine why 😉
So once you’ve strolled around the wall what else is there to do, I hear you think? One of the places you must see is the ancient Roman amphitheatre area which today easily distinguished in a overhead photo by it’s distinctive oval shape (there are plenty of street signs too you don’t need a drone!)
Over the years the stone seating areas were partially dismantled and used to build the houses which make today’s oval enclosure. To access Piazza dell’Anfiteatro you have to enter via one of the original Roman archways
The other must see is the Guinigi Tower, built by Paolo Guinigi, construction started in 1384. There were originally 4 towers but only one survives today. At the top of the 44.25m high tower is a garden and 7 oak trees. You can climb up the tower but if you, like us, don’t fancy the climbing the 230 steps in 34 degree heat you can see the top of the tower as you walk along the City Wall.
Not a great view from the street but you can see one of the trees
Of course a medieval Tuscan town wouldn’t be the same without some churches and Lucca is known as the city of churches. We, however, only visited the main Cathedral, St Martin’s, originally founded in the 6th century it’s been rebuilt and expanded in the 8th,10th,14th and 15th century.
