Lucca is one of those blessed historic cities, where, in the words of English essayist Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953), "everything is ... good." The ancient walls hide a tranquil and refined city whose historic center is an attractive mixture of squares, small churches, galleries, and cobbled streets.
Still, Lucca, in the words of American writer Henry James (1843-1916), "overflows everything that contributes to coolness, abundance, beauty, interest and good reputation."
Lucca delicious, easy to visit in one day from Florence. The train journey takes about 70 minutes and the station is located on Piazza Ricasoli at the mighty southern city walls, five minutes from the center. If you arrive by car, park outside the city walls, because parking in the old center is difficult and there are strict time restrictions on the length of parking.
Everything worth seeing is within the walls, and everywhere you can walk. If you are staying at Porta San Donato, you do not have it far into the Piazzale Giuseppe Verdi Information Center, which is one of the places where you can borrow bicycles that are another pleasant way to queue the city.
With a city trip, it is best to start at the central square, Piazza San Michele, heading south to the cathedral and continue through the eastern part of the city towards the sights in the north.
For a single day, the sights are full of floods and are suitable for staying overnight, but if you have little time, certainly do not miss the San Martino in Foro, the Duomo di San Martino (cathedral), the Casa Guinigi (view from the tower), the Museum of the Villa Guinigi , Piazza Anfiteatro and San Frediano Temple. Also, take a moment to go to a city fortification. One of the things you can quickly understand when you walk through the streets is the regular city structure, which is the remnant of rational Roman urban planning.
To the privileged medieval position, Lucca brought a blossoming silk business. In the 14th century, the city conquered Pisa and Pistoia. It did not even take away the defeat of Florence. Then the importance of the city fell but retained its independent status outside the Tuscan Grand Duchy, which he took for his own with the arrival of Napoleon, who gave the city his sister Elise Baciocchi. They then took over the Bourbon government until the unification of Italy.
