Lucca

Lucca: history & character

Lucca, a Tuscan city of about 89,000 inhabitants, was founded as a Roman colony in 180 BC (Luca) on the Via Cassia. It became a powerful medieval trading centre thanks to its 13th-century silk monopoly, and stood out above all for its singular political trajectory: an independent republic from 1119 to 1799, never absorbed by Medici Tuscany — unique among Tuscan cities. That independence earned it an exceptional crown: 4.2 km of bastioned Renaissance walls (1545-1650), among Italy's best-preserved, transformed in the 19th century into a tree-lined public promenade. The oval of the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro hugs the foundations of the 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre, the Romanesque-Pisan Cathedral of San Martino houses the Volto Santo, and the Guinigi Tower (14th c.) bears holm oaks on its roof — the city's iconic image. Lucca is also the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini. For travellers with a dog, it is arguably Italy's easiest city: car-free walled centre (ZTL), 4.2 km of flat ramparts as the daily walk, relaxed trattoria culture, and the Versilia dog beaches 30 min away by train.