The morning’s plan was to take the train to Lucca in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. It’s easy to get there from Florence and Lucca’s railway station is conveniently located just outside the city walls. Strolling through the stone arch of San Colombano, the Romanesque San Martino cathedral was in front of us, so we took a look inside.
Exploring further, we came to Lucca’s main street Via Fillungi, constructed in Roman times, it’s very narrow with traditional shops interspersed with medieval towers. Leading from there is Piazza Napoleone, a vast square which was created in the style of large squares in France during the period of French occupation. There wasn’t much activity in Lucca that day so we continued on to the Piazza dell’Amfiteatro which is the central square and focal point of the town. The piazza was constructed on the site of a former amphitheatre. Some original features remain and the ancient remains are still visible today. The colourful piazza was sympathetically restored in 1830 and is surrounded by cafes and small shops. It was lovely there so we decided to eat lunch out on the terrace of one of its small cafes.
Finally, to walk off our hearty lunch we took a walk along the city walls which have been well maintained over the years and provide good views of the Tuscan countryside from their ramparts.
The walls stretch for 4Km and the top has been transformed into a sort of park promenade, covered in grass and lined with trees to provide shade. It appears popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists as it is sufficiently wide to accommodate all activities.
After our pleasant walk we returned to Florence for the evening.
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We did the same trip from Pisa to Lucca in 2019 and were there on our anniversary. If we ever get back to Italy, we want to spend a couple of nights there. It is a beautiful city. Cheers. Allan
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I thought that Lucca was a beautiful city too though it was exceptionally quiet on the day of our visit.
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We love Lucca. About 3 years ago, we discovered that friends of ours at church would be in Italy (on a tour) at the same time of our visit. Looking at their itinerary, we discovered we would be about 30 km apart on a particular day – so we met in Lucca. I recall sitting at an outdoor cafe as one asked how close we were to my relatives …. to which I responded, my paternal side 25 km to the north, and my maternal side 25 km to the east.
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I’m pleased that this post brought back some fond memories for you.
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Thanks for letting me travel this morning.
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It’s my pleasure, so glad you found my blog.
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We loved Lucca! We stayed at one of the few hotels within the old city. How lucky are you that you could travel to Italy. We are still highly constrained in terms of travel as I’m sure you know, Marion. Stay well!
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What wonderful memories Sandra to have stayed within the old city. Yes, we are fortunate to be able to travel overseas Sandra. I so wish you could travel further afield too. Let’s hope things start to improve soon.
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Lucca is an absolute favorite of mine!
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