Postcard from Lucca, One of Tuscany's Most Enchanting Cities
Issue #119
What is it about Tuscany that’s so endlessly appealing? I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve visited the region (seven in 2024 alone!). And it’s definitely a part of Italy that people—Italians and foreigners alike—love to explore. Last year, I wrote about how to make the most of a week in Tuscany based on a question from a reader and this week I’m answering another reader-submitted question about Tuscany.
“It is my and my daughter’s plan to live in Tuscany one day. We are currently waiting for our Italian passports as we will then have dual citizenship… in Italy and the United States!” a reader wrote to me. “I know you primarily report on all things Roman, but I would like your insight into Lucca or Lucchese if possible.”
First of all, congratulations! Obtaining Italian citizenship is no easy feat. It will certainly open doors to living in Italy. Now let me get to the question at hand: insight into Lucca. I will preface this by saying that I can only share my personal experience as a visitor, not a resident. I can’t presume to know what it’s like to live there. However, it is certainly an enchanting city to spend time in.
Located about an hour west of Florence, near the sea and the Apuan Alps, Lucca was a Ligurian and Etruscan settlement before the Romans established a colony there. Traces of the Romans’ influence on Lucca remain in the city’s rectangular plan and the Piazza del Anfiteatro takes its shape from a Roman amphitheater that existed there.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Lucca was ruled by the Goths, the Byzantines, and the Lombards, before becoming a principality run by Napoleon’s sister Elisa Baciocchi. It joined the Kingdom of Italy during the country’s unification in 1860.
During the Middle Ages, Lucca was an important stop on the Via Francigena, the pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. Some of the city’s most distinctive churches were built during this period, including the Cathedrals of San Martino, San Frediano, and San Michele in Foro.
During the Renaissance, the city’s ramparts were built and they still form a three-mile-long ring around the city center. During my visit, I learned that locals love to stroll or bike along the ramparts, perhaps walking their dogs or enjoying a picnic and admiring the views.
The centro storico can be crossed on foot in about 20 or 30 minutes—and much of it is pedestrianized or part of a limited traffic zone. There are, however, enough shops, restaurants, bars, and bakeries worth popping into that you could easily spend hours exploring them.
Historically, Lucca was a prosperous city and a center of silk production. I heard that it’s forbidden to remove old shop signs, so there are many beautifully preserved signs around the city center, even if they no longer correspond to the shops that occupy those storefronts now.
Strolling through the city center, look up and you’ll notice a handful of Medieval-looking towers with trees growing on top of them. Standing 45 meters, the Guinigi Tower is the tallest and one of just two of the city’s original Medieval towers that remain intact. It was commissioned in the 14th century by the wealthy Guinigi family of bankers and merchants and is crowned by oaks growing as part of a hanging garden.
Lucca is also an important city for music. Giacomo Puccini was born here and the city celebrates him with concerts and operas. His birthplace has also been turned into a museum, though I have yet to visit it. It’s not all about opera though—the annual Lucca Summer Festival draws major acts like Alanis Morissette, Simple Minds, and the Tunisian-Italian rapper Ghali, all of whom will perform this summer.
During my stay, I had a lovely meal at Gli Orti di Via Elisa, a charming restaurant that serves traditional Tuscan cuisine, and stopped by Pasticceria Pinelli for a taste of torta d’erbi, a savory-sweet pie made with Swiss chard, pine nuts, cinnamon, raisins, and candied fruit. Try it while you’re there—this local specialty is hard to find even in other Tuscan towns.
Have you been to Lucca? Share your experience with me and other readers in the comments!
Further Reading
You can read the aforementioned issue about how to make the most of a week in Tuscany here.
If you’re interested in charming Tuscan towns, you might also like Pienza, the ideal Renaissance city.
For more Lucca-specific tips, check out this insider’s guide to Lucca in Condé Nast Traveller.
You can see all of the New Roman Times’ coverage of under-the-radar places here.
Lucca really IS one of Italy's most enchanting places, I'm just sorry my visit to it was very short :-(
We go to Lucca fairly often, it’s so close to Rome really, and it is refreshingly walkable and doesn’t feel so touristy despite being on the destination map.