Lucca

The most graceful of Tuscany’s provincial capitals, Lucca is encircled by an imposing ring of Renaissance walls, fronted by gardens and massive bastions. Located 17 km northeast of Pisa, it’s a highlight for many on a trip to Italy. Charming and quiet out of season, Lucca’s narrow streets grow livelier in summer, though never as crowded as those of Florence or Siena.

A Brief History of Lucca

Set at the heart of one of Italy’s richest agricultural regions, Lucca has prospered since Roman times. Its heyday was the eleventh to fourteenth centuries, when the silk trade brought wealth and political power. Lucca first lost its independence to Pisa in 1314, then, under Castruccio Castracani, forged an empire in the west of Tuscany. Pisa and Pistoia both fell, and, but for Castracani’s untimely death in 1325, Lucca might well have taken Florence. In subsequent centuries it remained largely independent until falling into the hands of Napoleon and then the Bourbons. Composer Giacomo Puccini was born here in 1858. Today Lucca is among the wealthiest and most conservative cities in Tuscany, its prosperity gained largely through silk and high-quality olive oil.

Things to do in Lucca

Lucca is a delightful town to wander, with a mix of workaday charm and stunning beauty, making it a must-visit destination on any Tuscany trip. While some parts may feel scruffy, it’s consistently lovely and full of life. The city center is mostly car-free, though you’ll need to watch out for cyclists weaving through the crowds (you can rent bikes easily if you’d like to join them).

The vast Piazza Napoleone is the focal point of Lucca’s centro storico, but the social heart of the city is Piazza San Michele to the north. Once the site of the Roman forum, this lively square is now lined with shops and cafés, and its daily market sells clothes, bags, sweets, and tourist trinkets.

Take the “long thread,” Via Fillungo, through the shopping district to the incredible circular Piazza Anfiteatro. Further east, beyond the Fosso (ditch), lies the San Francesco area and Lucca’s major art museum, housed in the Villa Guinigi. And whatever else you do, be sure to walk, or cycle, some or all of the city walls, which are topped by a lovely tree-lined promenade.

Hiking and biking Lucca’s city walls

Lucca’s monumental city walls make a striking first impression: entirely enclosing the city, they’re are an impressive reminder of Lucca’s history as an independent city-state. The present-day structure is actually the fourth – after the Roman, medieval and fifteenth-century efforts – constructed between the mid-sixteenth and mid-seventeenth centuries, and extending further than the previous defences.

The walls are tree-lined and topped by a car-free road – you can walk or cycle the 4.9km loop, taking in lovely views of the city on one side and the walls' grassy flanks and surrounding countryside on the other. Piazza Santa Maria has bike rental outlets as well as direct access to the ramparts; you can pick up a picnic from one of several food shops in the piazza. Allow 25 minutes to cycle the full circuit.