The city of Giacomo Puccini, a tiny masterpiece of Medieval architecture set in an enchanting landscape.
Approaching the city, the visitor to Lucca will be struck by the incredibly well preserved walls dating back to the 1500s which encircle the town, now transformed into a tree lined walk way. Once an Etruscan settlement, and subsequently a Roman Colony, Lucca preserves the ellipse of the Roman Amphitheatre and traces of Roman walls.
The Medieval appearance has hardly changed, with an urban architecture of narrow roads, towers and small squares overlooked by the numerous churches such as the Cathedral of St Martino, the Basilica of St Frediano, the Church of St Michele in Foro, the Farneta Charter House and the Palazzo Arcivescovile.
Lucca was the birth place of musicians such as Giacomo Puccini. The natural landscape is enchanting; dotted with splendid country mansions built between the 17th and 19th century. Lucca continues centuries' old commercial activities from the fabrication and marketing of silk to the production of local gastronomic specialties such as the traditional sweet buccellato of Lucca.
