Lucca

Perhaps not everyone knows that the Doctors They failed to conquer the whole of Tuscany. In fact, despite having tried in every way, at different times, and with several long sieges, they never succeeded in conquering the illustrious walls of Lucca, which among the various city-states in the region managed to maintain its independence until 1847.

For this reason there are those who consider Lucca almost a foreign body to the region, with its salty bread (in Tuscany everything is “sciapo”, silly, lacking in salt, but not insipid) and its vocabulary is at the very least singular.

Lucca, a fortified city in the heart of Tuscany

The fact is that Lucca, as a kind of fortified land island, has preserved within it true treasures that have remained intact over the centuries. And the greatest testimony of how the people of Lucca defended their freedom is theimposing And intact city walls, dating back to the 16th-17th centuries, which in its 4 kilometers includes 10 bastions, a platform and the stands, excellent viewpoints from which to observe the city.

Lucca, in its plot, is medieval, even if dotted with many testimonies from the majority of historical periods, starting from theRoman Amphitheater on which today opens the beautiful and very famous Amphitheater Square, a circular and evocative setting, created right on the ruins of the ancient steps.

The city of 100 churches

The Middle Ages, however, were the golden age of Lucca, not by chance called the "city of 100 churches”, starting from the Cathedral of San Martino - with its suggestive facade in Pisan-Romanesque style, inside which are kept the Holy Face and the splendid tomb of Ilaria del Carretto sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia - not to mention the Basilica of San Frediano, or of the fabulous Church of San Michele.

What to do in Lucca

Some must, to Lucca, I climbed to the top of the Guinigi Tower, the most important in the city, to admire the amazing trees that grow on its top; visit the rooms of the Ducal Palace Of Napoleon Square; stroll in the chic Fillungo Street, venture outside the walls, into the neighborhood of Art Nouveau villas that surround part of the center.

Every October, a very important festival takes place in the city, Lucca Comics & Games, which has become a world-class event over time, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. Also not to be missed is the Lucca Summer Festival which sees the performance of some of the most highly regarded artists on the international scene.