Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in Lucca, Italy

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Lucca

Lovely Lucca endears itself to everyone who visits. Hidden behind imposing Renaissance walls, its cobbled streets, handsome piazzas and shady promenades make it a perfect destination to explore by foot – as a day trip from Florence or in its own right. At the day's end, historic cafes and restaurants tempt visitors to relax over a glass or two of Lucchesi wine and a slow progression of rustic dishes prepared with fresh produce from nearby Garfagnana.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Cattedrale di San Martino

    Cattedrale di San Martino

    Lucca

    Lucca's predominantly Romanesque cathedral dates from the 11th century. Its stunning facade was constructed in the prevailing Lucca-Pisan style and…

  • City Wall

    City Wall

    Lucca

    Lucca’s monumental mura (wall) was built around the old city in the 16th and 17th centuries and remains in almost perfect condition. It superseded two…

  • Palazzo Pfanner

    Palazzo Pfanner

    Lucca

    Fire the romantic in you with a stroll around this beautiful 17th-century palace where parts of Portrait of a Lady (1996), starring Nicole Kidman and John…

  • Torre Guinigi

    Torre Guinigi

    Lucca

    The bird's-eye view from the top of this medieval, 45m-tall red-brick tower adjoining 14th-century Palazzo Guinigi is predictably magnificent. But what…

  • Museo della Cattedrale

    Museo della Cattedrale

    Lucca

    The cathedral museum safeguards elaborate gold and silver decorations made for the cathedral's Volto Santo, including a 17th-century crown and a 19th…

  • Torre del'Ore

    Torre del'Ore

    Lucca

    Legend has it that Lucca's 13th-century clock tower – at 50m tall, the highest of the city's 130 medieval towers – is inhabited by the ghost of Lucida…

  • Chiesa di San Michele in Foro

    Chiesa di San Michele in Foro

    Lucca

    One of Lucca's many architecturally significant churches, this glittering Romanesque edifice marks the spot where the city's Roman forum was. The present…

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Plan with a local

Articles

Latest stories from Lucca

LUCCA, ITALY - JUNE 19: The true Volto Santo di Lucca ('Holy Face of Lucca') and oldest statue of the West in the Cathedral of Lucca on June 19, 2020 in Lucca, Italy. The crucifix of the Holy Face is the first and the original and not a copy as previously believed. Diagnostic investigations using carbon 14 revealed that the three-meter sculpture is the 8th century original that a legend claimed to have arrived in Lucca from the Holy Land in 782 AD and not a 12th century copy. According to legend, the statue was carved by Nicodemus and the face carved by divine hand. This extraordinary novelty makes it the oldest wooden statue in the entire West. Over the centuries the statue had always been venerated and loved by pilgrims of all Italy and the world. The diagnostic tests were carried out on the occasion of the celebrations for the 950 years since the founding of the Lucca Cathedral. (Photo by Laura Lezza/Getty Images)

History

This famous Italian relic has been confirmed as Europe's oldest wooden sculpture

Jun 24, 2020 • 2 min read

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