Lucca (The Perfect Walled City)

The first time that we visited Italy was in 2000 when Trey was only two years old. First we went to Rome and then on to our villa in the Northern Tuscan countryside near a town called Lucca. At times I have felt as if we missed something as we only spent a brief moment behind Lucca’s walls one evening over dinner. Ever since, I have heard story upon story from friends who have visited Lucca and simply loved it. Lucca is located only forty five minutes from Florence so Anna and I decided to pay the city a second visit to find out if we has missed something the first time around by not exploring the city in more depth.

We decided that it would be a good idea to take Alex along and have her share with us some of he cities history. Lucca was established as a city in the third century BC when it was settled by the Etruscans (The name Tuscany is derived from these people who occupied this region of Italy prior to the Romans who conquered Lucca in about 100 BC). Like many other villages of the times, Lucca was and still is fortified by walls. These walls were of course built to protect its citizens from neighboring invaders from the region. The walls today are still in tact in such perfect condition that you get a true glimpse of what life was like some 2000 years ago. Lucca has nearly thirty two thousand inhabitants living within its walls today and those that were born inside its fortress are known as “Luchese” a distinction that carries great pride. The cities pride comes in great part with the fact that Lucca was the only Tuscan city to not fall under Florentine rule during the reign of Cosimo in the 1500’s. Its strategic location (Surrounded by marsh lands) and its fortification made it very well protected.

One of the greatest features of Lucca is the fact that its walls, that completely encompass the city, are still very much a part of life for the Luchese. You can walk or ride your bike on top of the walls with a birds eye view of the neighborhoods contained within. Walking the walls is common practice for the people of Lucca, especially during summer months following lunch or dinner. The view is beautiful as the contents of the city are quite unique. Lucca is located near Carrara Italy, which is famous for its marble quarries. Carrara marble is white in color and among the most sought after and expensive marble on earth. The David was carved out of Carrara by Michelangelo. One of the more beautiful features of Lucca is the various churches and buildings that were crafted with this precious stone and the contrast in color that is created when it resides next to another building of different color.

Our day in Lucca was spent absorbing its history and architecture. There city itself has numerous interesting streets that are known for their antiques. We didn’t have a chance to visit any of them, but you can bet we will be back to further delve into the secrets of this beautiful Tuscan town!