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.