Well-preserved Lucca has no single monumental sight, unless you count its welcoming, human-scaled overall feel. Its mighty wall, which long protected this proud city from its enemies, now serves to corral Lucca's Old World charm. Even its mostly traffic-free old town feels more local than touristy (aside from a few cruise excursions from nearby Livorno that pass through each day). Neighbouring Pisa has the famous tilted tower you can climb, but lesser-known Lucca is a favourite stop for many Italy connoisseurs. Just a 30-minute train ride from Pisa and an hour's ride from Florence, it's easy to do Pisa and Lucca in a one-day trip from Florence. Lucca began as a Roman settlement, and the grid layout of the streets - and the shadow of an amphitheatre - still survive from Roman times. As was typical for Roman towns, Lucca's two main roads quartered the fortified town, crossing at what was the forum (main market and religious/political centre) - today's Piazza San Michele. The amphitheatre sat just outside the original Roman walls. The city is a bit of a paradox - while it has Europe's mightiest Renaissance wall, it hasn't seen a battle since 1430. Medieval walls were thin, because with weapons like arrows and stones, there was no need for thick fortification. But in Renaissance times, the development of powerful cannons introduced the need for thicker, more substantial walls. In its heyday, Lucca packed 70 churches and over 100 towers within its walls. Each tower was the home and private fortress of a wealthy merchant family. Tower interiors were single rooms stacked atop each other: shop, living room, and then the kitchen, all connected by exterior wooden staircases. Rooftops usually served as vegetable gardens, with trees providing shade. Later, the wealthy city folk moved into the countryside, trading away life in their city palazzos to establish farm estates complete with fancy villas.
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12 сен 2024
