Lucca is a perfectly sized small city in Tuscany - perched close to but not quite on the Ligurian sea, a short drive or train ride from both Pisa and Florence, its well-preserved historic walls circle the historic city center, piazzas, and cobblestone streets. Puccini, the great opera composer was born here - as were pesto, focaccia, and panzanella.
Nowhere near as touristy as other parts of Italy, Lucca is definitely worth a day trip from Florence, Pisa, or the Cinque Terre, but we think it's better if you stay a few days, and maybe longer yet. In fact, you might consider staying in Lucca and taking day trips to those more touristy places, or the beach at Viareggio and returning to Lucca in the evening. It is compact and extremely walkable. You can certainly see most of the main tourist attractions in a day or two, but you'll appreciate the unhurried everyday real-life feel of the place the longer you stay. It is calm, laid back, and fun to explore any time of the day or evening. Strolling between its piazzas, partaking of a negroni, an aperol spritz, or any other type of apertivo. After all, it's almost always spritz-o'clock.
We love nothing more than simply walking around a town, peering into bakery windows at the fancy breads, cookies, and pastries, stopping here and there for a glass of wine, an apertivo, or a gelato. We walk and wander all over a place, crisscrossing streets and squares, popping into churches or markets, museums, and grocers. We like to get the feel of a city from the ground up - on foot, as much as possible not always knowing exactly where we are.
To get a good overview and sense of scale of the town you can walk on top of the renaissance-era city walls. while originally built to enclose and defend the city, they are now treelined and wide enough for walkers, runners, bikers, and picnics can all happily co-exist. They basically form an elevated city park.
Piazzas are often the life center of Italian cities and towns. Lucca has a few noteworthy ones.
Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - At one time this was the site of a roman amphitheater. After it fell into disuse, the Lucchese citizens built a collection of ramshackle homes and shops within the shell of the oval arena -using the materials of the arena for their own projects. These structures were removed in the 1800s and now the surrounding buildings retain the elliptical shape of the former arena. The piazza serves as one of the main "squares" and social centers of Lucca, with cafes, restaurants, shops, music, and sometimes market stalls. Many piazzas front or surround important civic or churches whether great or small. While none of the churches in Lucca are as grand as those you will find in Florence or Pisa - they all have a unique character and style.
Piazza San Michele - this is a small but vibrant piazza surrounding San Michele in Foro - This church is built on the site of the old roman forum with an interesting marble facade and a (formerly mechanical) bronze angel on top. The flapping wings would have been an interesting site to see. Grab coffee or lunch from one of the surrounding cafes and hang out. It's a bustling little piazza and great for people watching any time of the day or night.
Guinigi Tower - One of nine remaining medieval towers in Lucca, this tower is 145 feet (230 steps) tall and features trees, a small garden, and a panoramic view of the city and surrounding countryside on top.
Torre delle Ore - this also offers a great view of Lucca as well as a view of Torre Guinigi.
San Giusto - A small 12th-century church with bits of ornate baroque architecture on an otherwise austere facade.
Basilica di San Frediano - This is a romanesque style church known mostly for its impressive 13th and 14th-century byzantine mosaic illustrating The Ascension of Christ the Savior. Its bell tower is pretty neat too.
Duomo di San Martino - Construction of Lucca's premiere cathedral began in 1063 - only the apse and bell tower remain of the original structure. The west facade dates from the 13th century, while the nave and transepts were built in the 14th century. All the columns of the west facade are different because the church announced a contest for the best column. Artists and stone carvers from all over made columns, the church incorporated them all into the work and then conveniently neglected to pay the artist. Glory to God and all that.
Santi Giovanni e Reparata - the oldest portion of this church was built in the 5th century on the grounds of a Roman settlement. The bulk of what we see today is from the 11th and 12th centuries - though the facade is from the 16th century. It is fairly typical of Lombard architecture - simple, classical motif with molded arches and pilasters. This is only a block away from the Duomo.
FOOD
If you like pesto as much as we do - you need to try it here. It is light, bright green, smooth, and well, delicious.
Pesto is usually made from basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. It can also be made from marjoram, and sometimes uses walnuts instead of pine nuts. It sometimes contains garlic, sometimes not (we prefer it with garlic). It sometimes comes with small bits of potatoes and green beans or peas - and is sometimes used to dress a dish of sliced boiled or sauteed potatoes. You can nearly always find it topping some focaccia.
In Lucca, it is often served with a type of pasta called trenette (similar to linguine, but not as wide) or trofie (short, twisted noodles), or corzetti (flat round stamped discs slightly larger than communion wafers). You can eat it on any kind of pasta you'd like though so knock yourself out.
Other local specialties include:
Biadina - a type of liqueur similar to Vin Santo
Biroldo - a type of blood sausage
Buccellato - a round, donut-shaped bread similar to a soda bread
Garfagnana - a spelt soup with beans, cabbage, tomatoes, and bacon
Frantoiana - similar, but with more vegetables, bread, and no bacon added.
Garmugia - a soup made only in the Spring featuring fresh spring vegetables (peas, broad beans, baby onions, artichokes, and asparagus tips) cooked with minced meat
Marmugia is the lighter vegetarian version of Garmugia and is specific to Lucca
Panzanella - A bread salad, with tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables
Necci - chestnut flour pancakes rolled up and filled with ricotta cheese
Torta di Erbi - A sweet/savory pastry filled with herbs, nuts, raisins, rum, and sugar
Tordelli alla Lucchese - ravioli with cheese in a meat sauce
And of course, you can't go wrong with the foccaccia - in fact, if you don't eat focaccia while you are in Lucca, can you really say you've been there?
Head to a bakery (we went to Forno a vapore Amedeo Giusti), have them cut you a variety of different types of focaccia (thick and spongy) and schiacciata (thin and chewy) - plain, or topped with pesto, sweet onions, olives, stuffed with cured meats, prosciutto, cheese, whatever - have them wrap it all up in brown paper, grab a bottle or two of a local red or white wine, some salami and a piece or two of fruit from the shop down the street and head up to the city walls and enjoy an inexpensive and delicious little lunch in the open air. You'll be happy.
