Zip
code: 55100 Phone area code: 0583
Distance from: FIRENZE 71 Km / 44 Miles
Elevation: 17 mt / 56 feet
Tourist Office: Address:
P.zza Guidiccioni, 2 Phone: +39 4912051
Lucca has managed to cope with tourism without
losing its old-fashioned charm, and its narrow, mediaeval
streets are a wonderful mixture of shops, offices, restaurants,
bars and houses.
The city has some wonderful examples of
Roman, mediaeval and Renaissance archictecture and a huge
number of grand churches (the cathedral, pictured below,
is a particularly fine example of Romanesque style).
There is a busy schedule of markets, festivals and exhibitions
throughout the year and all of the facilities that you would
expect from a small city.
Lucca has excellent motorway, rail and bus
connections so you can easily explore the rest of Tuscany
and central Italy. The beaches of Versilia and the Leaning
Tower of Pisa (not to mention the airport) are within half
an hour's drive and you can easily be in Florence or the
wine-country of Chianti in just over an hour.
In the city that gave birth to Giacomo Puccini and
Luigi Boccherini the music is of great importance:
folk and pop in the squares, classical and operatic in the
theatre and basilicas. The climate is usually mild, ideal
for a stay in winter, not too inclement, and in summer,
hot but bearable. Visitors can easily get Lucca by car,
bus and train from the nearby Tuscan cities and from the
airports of Pisa and Florence.
The City of Lucca
Lucca is the capital of the province of the same name in
northwestern Tuscany. With approximately 85,000 inhabitants,
Lucca is situated in a broad alluvial plain, 19 meters above
sea level, near the Serchio River, between the Tuscan-Emilian
Apennines, the Tyrrhenian Coast and the Pisan hills. It
is an important city for art and traditional culture, presenting
a vital historic center of extraordinary value, which has
conserved almost intact the thick urban network of houses,
towers, medieval churches, Renaissance palaces and 19th-century
piazzas. Lucca today is a flowering commercial and industrial
center and an important area for the paper, chemical, metal
mechanic, textile and agricultural (olive and wine) industries.
Since the Roman period the town has been
surrounded by walls. In that period the walls had a quadrangular
plan with four gates.
In the XII and XIII century new town walls were erected
to include the new quarters of S. Maria Forisportam, S.
Pietro Somaldi and S. Frediano.
These walls were 11 or 12 metres tall and were defended
by towers. The gates of San Gervasio and Santa Maria dei
Borghi belong to this period.
In the XVI century new works on the walls were started and
at the end of the century the walls had the present shape
with bastions.
In the first half of the XIX century the architect Lorenzo
Nottolini began to tranform the walls into the park you
see today.
Historical Information
Lucca, visited by the Ligurians and the Etruscans, became
a colony in 180 A.D., and then a flowering Roman town (89
A.D.) in the 2nd to 8th centuries. It was the capital of
the Lungobard Duchy of Tuscia. The conversion of the Lungobards
to Catholicism manifested itself in the construction of
many churches, from late Romanesque times up to the present.
Lucca is called, in fact, “the city of 100 churches.”
It became a free commune in 1162. In the 13th to the 14th
centuries, it reached its period of maximum splendor, thanks
to the imperial privilege of stamping money, to its intense
mercantile and banking activity, and above all to processing
and trading of the precious silk that was exported to markets
all over Europe. The battles with neighboring Pisa and Florence
for the control of transportation routes in the 12th to
15th centuries more than once necessitated the rebuilding
of the walls. From the 16th century on, the city was a free
oligarchic republic. In 1805, Napoleon made Lucca a principality,
granting authority to his sister Elisa Bonaparte in Baciocchi.
Elisa governed up to 1814, carrying out grandiose public
works and making many radical modifications to the city’s
appearance. After the Restoration, Maria Luisa di Borbone,
who with her son Carlo Ludovico was distinguished for having
built a new aqueduct, renewed the reforming criteria of
the Baciocchi. In 1847, the city became part of the Grand
Duchy of Tuscany, and then in 1860 it joined the Kingdom
of Italy.
Things To see
The Renaissance Walls, the most significant monument of
the city, is an intact circle of about 4 km in length, with
a series of ramparts. These walls have allowed the historic
center to maintain its homogeneous and balanced appearance.
The impressive complex was begun in 1544 to take the place
of the medieval walls, which were already insufficient for
defending the city in light of the expansionist intentions
of Florence. The undertaking required so many resources
that it was completed only in 1650. An imposing complex
of defensive works, ditches, gun outposts, barriers, large
underground chambers, and ten spurred ramparts, which formerly
held guard-posts, characterizes the twelve-meter high walls.
Under the Bourbons the walls had lost their military value
and were transformed into a beautiful public walkway. Even
today, being forbidden to cars, the walls constitute a daily
destination for the Lucchese, offering visitors numerous
scenic paths.
Botanical Gardens. Planned
by Elisa Baciocchi, the Botanical Gardens were created in
1920 by Maria Luisa di Borbone and destined for the use
of the administration of the University of Lucca. The garden,
about two hectares in size, is extremely important. It contains
more than 700 species of local and exotic plants, which
were in vogue during the 1800’s. The teaching laboratory
and the ancient library with its precious herbariums and
rare scientific texts are on the garden’s periphery.
Admission is charged. Closed Sundays, Mondays and holiday.
Duomo of San Martino. Opening
onto the piazza of the same name, the Duomo is surrounded
by beautiful buildings from various periods. Founded in
the 6th century, it became an episcopality in the 8th century.
It has undergone many periods of re-construction. The façade,
designed by the Lombard master Guidetto da Como in 1204,
is one of the most significant examples of Pisan/Lucchesan
Romanesque. It is in white limestone and presents three
levels of loggias, supported by richly decorated columns
in polychrome marble with reliefs and intarsia (inlays).
The wide doorway, asymmetric because in the past it supported
the bell tower, is decorated by beautiful bas-reliefs, some
of which can be attributed to Nicola Pisano. The white and
green striped sides (14th century) are separated by high
buttresses and refined Gothic windows. The interior, with
three naves (14th century), is airy and elegant, rendered
more delicate by slim trifore around the fake matroneum.
To the right of the main entrance, on the façade,
is the important sculptural group called “L’Elemosina
di S. Martino” (The Begging of S. Martin), a work
by an unknown Lombard artist from the 13th century. In the
side chapels, there are many works of art, including paintings
by Ghirlandaio, Tintoretto, Zuccari, and Fra’Bartolomeo,
sculptures by Civitale, and the sarcophagus of Ilaria del
Carretto, a masterpiece by Iacopo della Quercia (1408).
In the nave on the left, the little temple of Matteo Civitali
(1484) houses the celebrated wooden crucifix called the
Volto Santo (Holy Face), which has been a pilgrimage destination
since the Middle Ages and has been recorded in literature
from every period (in particular, Dante in The Divine Comedy
and Victor Hugo in Notre Dame de Paris).
Baptistery of Saints Giovanni and
Reparata. The Baptistery, created in the 5th century
as the first seat of the Bishop, faces the Piazza del Duomo.
It stands on an interesting, still-visible archaeological
area. The super-imposed structures date from the 2nd century
back to the Paleo-Christian era. The present Romanesque-style
building has a façade that was modified in the 16th
century. However, the medieval doorway was preserved. The
interior, with three naves divided by Romanesque columns,
encloses the area of the baptistery, a vast room on a square
plan, with a slender pointed dome overhead.
Church of San Michele in
Foro. Imposing and slender, this church stands in the piazza
of the same name, which corresponds to the ancient Roman
Forum and is the site of many medieval and Renaissance buildings.
This beautiful church in white limestone, rebuilt over the
ancient church of the 8th century, is a typical example
of Pisan/Lucchesan architecture. Its originality lies in
the juxtaposition of Romanesque and Gothic solutions. This
is because it was built over an extremely long period, from
the 11th to the 14th centuries. The richly decorated and
sculptured façade, characterized by blind arcades
and by four orders of loggia, culminates with the colossal
statue of S. Michael the archangel conquering the dragon,
four meters high. Alongside the transept is the massive
rectangular bell tower. Within are valuable works by Andrea
Della Robbia, Fippino Lippi, Agostino Marti, Pietro Paolini
and Raffaello da Montelupo.
Basilica of S. Frediano.
Walking down via Fillungo, passing the piazza of the Amphitheatre,
one arrives at Piazza San Frediano. The splendid basilica,
documented since the 12th century, rises over a high medieval
church that has been often modified over time. The sober
façade in pure Romanesque style is surmounted by
a large gold-leaf mosaic of the Ascension, a splendid work
in Byzantine style from the School of Berlinghieri (13th
century). The addition of chapels for the nobility in the
Renaissance modified the proportions of the Romanesque façade.
Because of its many artworks from every era, the church
can certainly be considered a museum. The austere and luminous
interior, with three naves, separated by impressive Roman
columns, conserves frescoes from various periods. A 12th-century
baptismal fountain is finely sculptured with the Cycle of
the months and Stories from the life of Moses. There are
sculptures by Civitale, terracottas by Luca della Robbia,
an altar back by Jacopo della Quercia, and works by Aspertini,
Sorri and Guidotti. One chapel contains the body of Santa
Zita, a highly venerated person in Lucca.
Piazza of the Amphitheatre.
This ancient site constitutes one of the most characteristic
and original monuments of the city. The ancient amphitheatre
dates from the 2nd century A.D. It was built on an elliptical
plan with two rows of 54 arcades and a maximum capacity
of 10,000 spectators. Beginning in the Middle Ages, houses
were built over the ruins. Over the course of time the piazza
developed its characteristic elliptical shape, with buildings
all around it. The ancient remains are still quite evident
today. The colorful piazza was restored in 1830. Enlivened
by shops and cafes, it is still at the center of cultural
activities, music festivals, and fairs.
Via Fillungo. (Fillungo's
street) The ancient cardo maximus of the Roman city is today
a lively street with elegant traditional shops, medieval
towers (of which the oldest and most interesting is the
Tower of Hours, which can be visited), and noblemen’s
palaces.
Guinigi Tower. The palace
and the tree-topped tower, belonging to the prestigious
merchant family of the Guinigi, are located in one of the
most characteristic medieval neighborhoods of the city.
It is the only remaining example of home of Gothic nobility,
with elegant quadriforium on the facades, large internal
rooms, and a second doorway for carriage access. The tower,
one of the few remaining that ornated the medieval city,
is 44 meters high and culminates in a small terrace crowned
by larch trees. From this vantage point, one can enjoy a
stupendous, vast panorama.
Admission is charged for visiting the tower.
National Museum of Palazzo Mansi.
This museum is important, not only as an example of a nobleman’s
home from the 1600-1700’s, with sumptuous atmosphere
and original, perfectly-conserved furnishings, but also
because it houses an important art gallery. Of the 83 paintings
on display (16th to 18th century), we note works by Veronese,
Beccafumi, Pontormo, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Vasari and some
Flemish painters. In the adjacent rooms there are a few
paintings saved from the dispersal of the original Mansi
collection. Furthermore, one can visit a handmade weaving
laboratory and a collection of old looms and costumes.
Admission is charged; free for students and E.U. citizens
under 18 and over 65 years of age; closed Mondays.
Palazzo Pfanner, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
National Museum of Villa Guinigi.
Housed in the splendid suburban home of Paolo Guinigi, lord
of the city in the 1400’s, the Museum allows one to
survey the principal monuments of the artistic history of
Lucca. It offers, in fact, a vast typology of collections
of Lucchese production or origin. In the archaeological
section, there are finds from the city and the region. There
are also sculptures, ceramics and gold productions from
the Middle Ages, painted crosses in Byzantine style, figurative
productions from the 13th to 15th centuries, and great paintings
from the 1500’s to the Mannerist period.
Admission is charged; free for students and E.U. citizens
under 18 and over 65 years of age; closed Mondays.
Cathedral Museum. Rising
alongside the Duomo, the museum is located in a complex
of medieval origin. It houses a patrimony of inestimable
artistic and historical value. Included in the collection
are miniature codices, jewelry, paintings, liturgical dress,
sculptures and wooden crosses, organized according to a
chronological and didactic order, belonging as well to the
Cathedral and the Baptistery of S. Giovanni.
Admission is charged; closed Mondays
Birthplace of Giacomo Puccini.
Here, on December 22, 1858, the celebrated composer Giacomo
Puccini was born. He was the last of a dynasty of musicians
who for a long time dominated the cultural and musical life
of Lucca. In his birthplace, he spent the years of his infancy
and childhood. He remained forever connected to it and assured
that it remained the property of the family. The museum,
recently refurbished, houses precious relics and memorabilia:
drafts, scores, photos, letters, honors, paintings, as well
as a costume from the American opening of Turandot and the
piano on which he composed the opera.
Admission is charged; closed Mondays in winter months. read
more
Piazza Napoleone and the Ducal Palace.
The tree-lined Piazza Grande lies in the very center of
the city. It is also called Piazza Napoleone because it
was opened in 1806 according to the wishes of Elisa Bonaparte.
The monumental Ducal Palace (today headquarters of the Provincial
administration and of the Prefecture of Police), created
as the public palace in 1578 according to the plans of the
Ammannati, was enlarged and modified in the 18th to 19th
centuries. Inside, one can visit the splendid Representatives
Rooms, the monumental stairway by Nottolini, the Gallery
of Statues (imitations of classical examples), the General
Council Room, the Staffieri Room (frescoed by Ademollo),
and the original Loggia of the Ammannati. Admission is free;
closed on Sundays and holiday.
Gates of the Medieval Walls.
Some sections of the second imposing ring of walls, created
in the 13th century to include the anticipated enlargement
of the medieval city, remain, along with two well-preserved
doorways: Santa Maria dei Borghi and San Gervasio. Defended
by two cylindrical side-towers, they had a drawbridge and
gigantic wooden doorways, of which today only the hinges
remain.
Art
National Museum of Palazzo Mansi
Via Galli Tassi, tel. 0583/55570
National Museum of Villa Guinigi
Via della Quarquonia, tel. 0583/496033
Cathedral Museum
Piazza del Duomo, tel. 0583/490530
Birthplace of Giacomo Puccini
Corte S. Lorenzo, tel. 0583/584028
See
the museums in Lucca
How To Arrive
By car
Highway A11 from Bologna - Florence
Highway A12 from Livorno – Genoa
A1 Aurelia and then SS12 from Abetone and the Brennero:
from the Tyrhennian Coast
By train
The rail links follow the main routes of the highways: principle
connections are with Viareggio, Pisa, Florence, Pistoia,
Aulla.
By plane
The nearest airport, well connected to Lucca via the local
train line, is the Galilei International Airport in Pisa.
For information about flights, phone 050/500707.
How To Get Around
By car
The historic center (zone of limited traffic) is closed
to private vehicles. The best way to visit Lucca is in fact
by foot. There are many parking places located near principal
access routes and public transport facilities: to the west,
that of Tagliate; to the south, that of Viale Carducci;
to the east, that of Caserma Mazzini.
Public transport
The CLAP association offers a good service of urban shuttle
buses, which connects the entire city to the parking areas
and the suburbs. There are also buses for the extra-urban
areas. Tickets are valid for a single trip and can be purchased
at any authorized vendor.
By taxi
Piazza Napoleone – tel. 0583/492691
Piazza Railway Station – tel. 0583/494989
Piazzale Verdi – tel. 0583/581305
Piazza S. Maria – 0583/494190
Hospital – 0583/950623
By bicycle
The most comfortable and enjoyable way to visit this city
“made to the measure of man” is surely the bicycle,
which can be rented in various places: in the Casermetta
S. Donato – urban wall; in Piazza S. Maria; in via
Anfiteatro.
Useful Addresses
Tourist information
C.A.T. (Tourist Information Office)
Piazzale Verdi - tel. 0583/442944
Information and tourist reception, booking office, Internet
point, exchange office:
Piazza S. Maria, 35 – tel. 0583/91991
APT, Agency for the Promotion of Tourism in Lucca
Administrative headquarters: Piazza Guidiccioni, 2 –
tel. 0583/91991
Useful numbers:
Carabinieri: 112
Emergency: 113
Fire department: 115
Urban police: 0583/442727
Doctor on call: 118
Road Assistance: 116
State railways: 0583/467013; railway information: 147/888088
Veterinary clinic open 24 hours a day: 0583/370500
Food
The expression of a simple and plain country tradition,
Lucca’s cooking maintains the substantial and flavorful
character of its past. Rich in fantasy in its approach to
old flavours and to the use of genuine primary materials,
it is distinguished by its use of local vegetables and aromatic
herbs in every dish. Together with mushrooms, these take
a primary role. Among first dishes, minestrone made in the
rural tradition is outstanding, as are vegetable soup “alla
frantoia” (“of the olive mill”), farro
(“spelt”) and bean soups, and “farinata”
made with vegetables and corn flour. One of the richest
first dishes is “tordelli lucchesi” with ragu
sauce, served on festive and holiday occasions. Veal was
once considered a dish for gentlemen. The more well known
common dishes are in fact based on pork and poultry (pork
roasted on the grill or with aromatic herbs, rabbit “cacciatore”
with olives, chicken “al mattone”, and fried
chicken with fried vegetables). Cooking based on river fish
such as stewed Serchio eel, Garfagnana trout and baked mullet,
or humble, flavorful baccala (cod) roasted with chickpeas
or stewed with leeks, is also typical.
Shopping
Strolling along the shady downtown streets, one can breath
the true atmosphere of Lucca and the reserved but courteous
character of the Lucchese. In the narrow streets, lined
with ancient shops and artisans’ studios, the daily
life of the city is swarming, hard working and lively.
Besides products of local manufacture (textiles,
ceramics, shoes), Lucca is worth visiting for its typical
food products (olive oil, wine, farro, porcini mushrooms).
At Prospero, an extremely ancient and typical grain shop,
there is a stupefying variety of local legumes. Traditional
pastry shops and bakeries, present in every corner of the
city, offer the simple sweets of the past, like the famous
Buccellato, extremely old sweet bread, flavoured with anise
and raisins. At the ancient Massagli Pharmacy, one can taste
the Elixir of China (created in 1855) and the original Biadina
of Lucca, a secret mixture of liquors served with pine nuts.
In Via Fillungo, there are many Liberty-style shops with
handmade jewelry, some of which specialize in vintage jewelry.
Of the many historic cafes, the ancient literary café
called De Simo, daily destination of famous personalities
like Giacomo Puccini and Giovanni Pascoli. In the romantic
tea salons, splendidly preserved in Liberty-style, one can
breathe the atmosphere of the past and taste refined pastries.
We suggest, finally, a visit to the charming via del Battistero,
to see the splendid shop windows of the antique dealers.
Antique market in Lucca
On the third weekend of each month Lucca hosts a huge antique
market centered on Piazza San Giusto. Among the best antique
shops is Galleria Vannucci, which features local 17th- and
18th-century furnishings and drawings, Via del Battistero,
50/52; Phone (39-0583) 955-815. There is an attractive craft
fair, also in Piazza San Giusto, on the last weekend of
every month.
DINING
Lucca and the surrounding hills offer a number of country
trattorias and restaurants that take advantage of the area's
world-renowned olive oil and porcini mushrooms. In Lucca,
the best restaurant is the cozy Buca di Sant'Antonio, where
one can feast on chickpea-crusted mushroom quiche, homemade
ravioli filled with ricotta and zucchini, grilled sirloin
slices mixed with rugola and other treats.
COCKTAILS
Wander into the splendor of the Piazza San Michele in Lucca
and choose any of the easygoing bar-cafes around the main
square, where, enjoying a glass of local white wine or a
gin and tonic, you can watch the locals bicycle around town.
Theatres
Teatro del Giglio, comunal theatre (prose, lyric, ballet)
Piazza del Giglio – tel. 0583/467521
Throughout the year, many concerts of classical music are
organized in the city’s churches.
Shops and Markets
Bacchettoni Market (clothes, shoes, fabrics, used and housewares),
via dei Bacchettoni; every Wednesday and Saturday morning.
Antiques Market, Piazza S. Martino and surrounding; every
third weekend.
International Salon of Comics, Palasport, via delle Tagliate;
November and March.
Main Events of the City
Sagra Musicale Lucchese, concerts of religious
and classic music in the city’s churches, April to
June.
Festa of S. Zita, with displays and flower market; 27 April,
festival of the saint.
Ancient Palio della Balestra and Historical Procession;
11-12 July, festival of the patron.
September Lucchese, cultural and folkloristic events in
September.
Luminara of Santa Croce, solemn procession of the Volto
Santo and historical procession; 13 September, in the context
of the celebrations of “September Lucchese.”
Lyric Season, Teatro del Giglio; winter months
Tourist areas Near
the City
- Parco di Migliarino - San Rossore
- LUCCA and surrounding
area
- PISA and surrounding area
( Distance 16 Km / 10 Miles )
- VIAREGGIO
and surrounding area ( Distance 20 Km / 12 Miles )
- MONTECATINI
TERME and surrounding area ( Distance 21 Km / 13 Miles
)
- FORTE
DEI MARMI and surrounding area ( Distance 29 Km / 18
Miles )
- PISTOIA and surrounding
area ( Distance 34 Km / 21 Miles )
- LIVORNO
and surrounding area ( Distance 35 Km / 22 Miles )
- PRATO and surrounding
area ( Distance 47 Km / 29 Miles )
Also visit:
Camaiore town
Historic town with important monuments such as the collegiate
church of Maria Assunta (13th cent.) with the 14th cent.
bell tower and the 7th cent. Benedictine Abbey; nearby is
the hamlet of "La Pieve" with the ancient Romanesque
church founded in 816 a.D. The resort of Lido di Camaiore:
is situated along the seaside in the greenery of parks and
gardens with a characteristic terraced.
Massarosa town
The origin of this town dates back to the third cent. B.C..
At a few kilometres in the hilly hamlet of Massaciuccoli
are the ruins of Roman villas and thermal baths dating
from the 2nd cent. From the hills breath-taking views
of the coastline with its luxuriant pine woods.
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