Lucca Travel Guide
Author: Giuseppe Longo
Introduction Lucca is a city in Tuscany, situated on the river
Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on) the Ligurian Sea. It
is the capital city of the Province of Lucca. Lucca is located 30
kilometers northeast of the Pisa airport and 85 kilometers west
of Florence in Northern Tuscany. To the north of Lucca lie the
Apuane Alps with their famous marble quarries, spas and mineral
water springs, streams, woods and caves. Lucca is a wonderful
little city with much to admire. One of Italy's finest mediaeval
treasures, the centre is relatively unspoilt and is sprinkled
with palazzi, towers and almost countless splendid churches. The
surrounding hills produce some excellent wines and arguably the
finest olive oil anywhere. The architecture in the old city is a
combination of Gothic and Romanesque, with lovely streets well
laid out, and houses often painted in pastels of blue, yellow and
pink.
Arrival Plane The nearest airports to Lucca are Pisa
International Airport Galileo Galilei and Florence International
Airport Amerigo Vespucci. just outside the airport you will
notice a little train station: every twenty minutes a train
leaves in order to connect Pisa Airport to Pisa Central Station
where you will find train coincidences to Lucca Station. Another
way to get to Lucca is to take an interurban bus of the Autolinee
Lazzi leaving just outside the airport. The journey will take
approximately one hour and you can check the schedule visiting
the page: Pisa Airport - Lucca airport by bus. From Florence
Airport to Lucca take a city line bus to the Train Station of
Santa Maria Novella, in order to take a train coincidence to
Lucca. There is a bus leaving every 30 minutes just outside the
airport and you can get more information at the following
websites: www.ataf.net or www.sita-on-line.it. The whole journey
(bus+train) will take approximately two hours. The second
alternative to get to Lucca is to take an interurban bus of the
Autolinee Lazzi; there is a dedicated bus stop immediately nearby
the airport and you can visualize the schedule of the connections
on the following website: www.lazzi.it. The journey will take
approximately one hour and forty-five minutes.
Train Lucca is on the Florence-Viareggio train line, with
frequent service to Florence. It takes 70 minutes to an hour and
a half to go from Lucca to Florence. Lucca's train station is two
blocks outside the ramparts (enter at Porta San Pietro) on the
south side of town in Piazza Ricasoli.
Car Lucca is reached with the A11 and A12 autoroutes and is only
20 kilometers from the Pisa Airport.
Bus Buses run daily to Florence and Pisa as well, and leave from
Piazza Verdi, adjacent to the tourist office.
Transport It is possible to park in the centre of town, but many
areas are closed to non-resident traffic and you may have a long
wait for a parking space. You can park in one of the free edge of
town car parks on Lucca's north side and take one of the small
electric buses into town. You'll find two large car parks on Via
delle Tagliate (near the sports stadium) and Via del Cimitero
(near the cemetery); there is also one further round the ring
road towards the railway station. Bus tickets (for the navetta)
may be bought at most bars or on the bus itself.
If you don't have your own mean of transportation you can rely
on Clap buses (tel. 0583-5411 or 0583-587-897) or Lazzi buses
(tel. 0583-584-877). Both lines are based at Piazzale Verdi. Clap
is dedicated to local transportation (within Lucca province)
while Lazzi destinations are inside and outside the province.
One of the best ways to see Lucca is to hire a bicycle for a few
hours. All the locals use bikes to get around and there is so
much to see that you'll likely find yourselves tired from walking
everywhere. There are a couple of hire shops in Piazza Santa
Maria on the north side of the town, and another can be found
tucked behind the Roman amphitheatre.
A scenic railway line ducks in and out of tunnels alongside the
Serchio River - you ride under an arch of the Devil's Bridge -
and goes out onto the Lunigiana plain to Aulla, where you can
change.
History and Culture The Lucca area has been inhabited since time
immemorial, first by the Ligurians, then by the Etruscans, who
were followed by the Romans. By the middle of the 2nd Century BC,
it was a prosperous Latin town, largely because of its location
near the intersection of three major Roman highways, the Via
Cassia, the Via Aurelia and the Via Clodia. Lucca's geometrical
grid pattern layout dates to this period.
As the Roman empire declined, the area came under the rule of
the Longobards, so-called barbarians, whose reign lasted til the
11th century, AD. Lucca became a free commune in 1162 enjoying a
long period of prosperity as a banking and manufacturing center.
The many splendid churches, cathedrals, towers and villas, extant
even today, are testament to its economic success. Lucca's
original walls and fortifications were completely renovated and
improved during the 15th and 16th centuries as the town fought to
retain its independence from Firenze (Florence). The walls and
ramparts that were built during this period are those that the
modern traveler sees encircling the old town.
In 1799 Lucca came under Napoleonic rule. Napoleon appointed his
sister, Elisa as Duchess. She and her husband were active
supporters of the arts, and built many important buildings during
their reign. The Piazza Napoleone is named for the Duchess.
Eventually, after the Congress of Vienna, Lucca was amalgamated
into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, then of the Kingdom of Italy. In
the early 19th century, when the town was annexed to Parma, the
delightful, tree-lined promenade around the walls of the old town
were added by the architect Lorenzo Nottolini.
On the cultural front, Lucca has made many contributions, most
notably in the field of music. A singing school was founded in
the town in AD 787. Luigi Bocherini, who revitalized chamber
music, made his home in Lucca. So did Giacomo Puccini, composer
of Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Turnadot and La Boheme.
Churches and Museums Lucca Cathedral - Duomo di San Martino The
Cathedral was completely rebuilt between the twelfth and
fifteenth centuries; in 1261 it was joined to the adjoining
bell-tower, hence the unusual asymmetry of the facade and its
smaller arch to the right. Some of the carving dates back to the
fifth century and some work has been attributed to Nicola Pisano.
The tomb of Ilaria is the work of Lucca's famous son, Matteo
Civitali, and dates from the fifteenth century. The Volto Santo
(Holy Face) is a wooden effigy that is said to be a true image of
Christ, carved by Nicodemus at the crucifixion. Once a year the
revered effigy is removed to head a procession through the
streets of Lucca.
Santa Maria della Rosa A short distance east of the cathedral is
a small low church dedicated to Santa Maria della Rosa, built
against the Roman town walls in 1309 by the Università dei
Mercanti. On the side wall are Gothic arcades enclosing elegant
windows. On the left-hand wall of the interior are large dressed
blocks of stone from the Roman walls.
San Frediano The Church of San Frediano, dedicated to the sixth
century Bishop of Lucca of that name, was built between 1112 and
1147 on the site of the earlier eighth century church (some
remains of which were brought to light in 1950). Originally the
church had the usual orientation, with the chancel at the east
end. In the 13th century, however, it was heightened and the
facade was given another story; the baptistery and the Cappella
della Santa Croce, to the right and left of the present entrance,
were incorporated in the church; the apse, containing the altar,
was built on to the west end so that the entrance front should
not face the town walls which had by then been erected. The lower
part of the facade is plain, vertically articulated by pilasters
and columns.
Church of San Michele in Foro Almost certainly the most
photographed view in Lucca, the facade of San Michele in Foro is
a delight. The upper section gives the impression of a propped-up
film set - the windows look through onto thin air - as money ran
out before that part of the church could be raised to the level
of the facade.Every single column is different; some are
elaborately carved, some twisted and spiralling, others are like
striped sweets.
Museo Nazionale Guinigi Lucca's main museum houses an
interesting and varied collection of works. Inside you'll find
paintings, sculptures, furniture and works of art from Lucca and
its Province. There are some pieces from Roman and Etruscan times
and the unusual red-brick villa often hosts special exhibitions.
Via della Quarquonia. Museo del Duomo - Cathedral Museum A
relatively new museum housing interesting relics of the cathedral
and of Lucca. There are examples of some lavish metalwork, most
notably the regalia used to adorn the Volto Santo come procession
time. May be found alongside the cathedral itself.
Historical buildings and monuments City walls The historical
centre of Lucca lies within a unique wall system. These walls,
built of small red bricks specifically created for their
construction, were many years in the making. Unusually for cities
in the region, the walls around the old town were retained intact
as the city expanded and modernized. As the wide walls lost their
military importance, they became a pedestrian promenade ringing
the old town although they were used for a number of years in the
20th century for racing cars. They are still fully intact today;
each of the four principal sides is lined with a different tree
species.
Casa di Puccini This is the house where Giacomo Puccini was born
in 1858. Now a small museum with portraits, scores, sketches and
the Steinway piano at which Lucca's most famous son composed
Turandot. Just off Piazza San Michele, on Via di Poggio.
Torre Guinigi Instantly recognisable as 'the tower with the tree
on top', this fifteenth century 130 foot high tower may be
climbed all the way to the top. The adjoining Casa Guinigi is but
one of many mansions that were built by the silk trading Guinigi
family, once all-powerful rulers of Lucca.
Palazzo Bernardini A little way east of San Cristóforo in
Lucca can be seen the long three-storyed facade of the Palazzo
Bernardini, built by Matteo Civitali in the early 16th century.
It has a beautiful doorway and an elegant courtyard.
Roman amphitheatre The amphitheatre, where gladiatorial shows
and games were traditionally held, was built in Lucca in the
second half of the Ist century A.D.. The remains of the Roman
amphitheatre are preserved, incorporated in buildings bordering
the present day Piazza dell' Anfiteatro, in the northern part of
the town. The elliptic shape of the piazza corresponding, to a
great extent, to the area of the ancient arena.
Places of Interest Bagni di Lucca North of Lucca, Bagni di Lucca
(150m/495ft; pop. 9,000), comprises a number of separate
villages, known as early as the 10th century as the "Baths of
Corsena", with springs containing salt and sulfur (37-54
°C/99-129 °F: season May-September). The principal
village is Villa, once a residence of the dukes of Lucca, with
its own thermal spring. The village of Bagni Caldi is the most
important spa, with a warm spring, the "Doccione" (54 °C/129
°F), in a cave.
Villas Landscape The Sorroundings of Lucca boast an unique
"Villas Landscape". The Villas, or rather the palaces in villa,
are historical country residences that the Lucchesi merchants
built between the 15th and 19th centuries, investing the fruits
of their business and banking activities in central Europe. More
than three hundred Villas, large and small, are spread out over
the arc of hills that both defines and brings to a close the
geographical bounds of the Plain of Lucca. Among them: Villa
Reale di Marlia, Villa Grabau, Villa Bernardini, Villa Oliva,
Villa Mansi,Villa di Carmigliano.
Events Monthly Markets/fairs Lucca has a large antiques market
(centred around Piazza San Giusto and Piazza Antelminelli) on the
third Sunday (and preceding Saturday) of every month. There is
also a craft fair, again in and around Piazza San Giusto, on the
last Sunday (and preceding Saturday) of every month.
Mostre Delle Antiche Camelie Della Lucchesia - March Held over
three weekends during March, this well established show of
Camelias is centred around the village and villas of Pieve di
Compito and San Andrea di Compito, a short distance from Lucca.
There is a main exhibition, special openings of villas and their
gardens, plants for sale, (usually) a tea exhibition and
associated displays.
Sawdust Carpets - May Perhaps losing something in translation
the "tappeti di segatura colorata" are an absolutely wonderful
sight. The long central street of Camaiore is bedecked with
dozens of incredibly detailed designs fabricated entirely from
"sprinkled" coloured sawdust. Work starts the evening before and
continues all night long, with the procession of Corpus Domini
passing over (and destroying) them the next day. The Sunday of
Corpus Domini and the Saturday night beforehand.
Lucca Summer Festival - July Series of open air concerts, Lucca
hosts the Lucca Summer Festival each year which, in July 2006,
saw the likes of Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, Tracy Chapman and
Santana play live in the Piazza Napolean.
San Paolino - July 3rd sunday of month, The festival of San
Paolino sees mediaeval costumes, torchlit parades and a
traditional crossbow contest. Centred around the San Paolino area
in the centre of Lucca.
"Lucca September" As Pisa is in June, so Lucca is in September -
a place taken back in time with the middle-ages returned and the
atmosphere one of festivity. There are special concerts, markets,
shows, exhibitions and processions, with the undoubted highlight
being the Luminaria di Santa Croce on the night of the 13th. The
centre of Lucca is lit by torch and candlelight alone and there
is an enormous procession, largely in period costume, with music,
the famous flag-juggling, and the return of Lucchesi from the
world over. The procession starts at the church of San Frediano
(at 8.00 PM) and proceeds to the cathedral of San Martino to
celebrate the Volto Santo.
Lucca Comics - October Every year, last weekend in October sees
Lucca host an incredibly popular International Comics Fair.
Artists, collectors and exhibitors from all over the world.
Comics, games, simulations and very full hotels.
About the author:
www.filcoo.com
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