Lucca & Pisa

Lucca & Pisa

Search for articles on Lucca and you’ll find a consistent theme – this is a gorgeous, lovely town to simply wander through and experience. Walk the walls! Check out the churches! Unlike many historic Italian destinations (like Florence), this is a real town, with real locals, and while it’s not immune to tourist traffic, it feels very possible to blend in and simply be a part of it all.

Lucca began as a Roman settlement, and the grid layout of the streets still survive from Roman times. Look closely at the city buildings, and you’ll see older carvings and patterns, reused from earlier structures. In the interior, we visited the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro: while it no longer exists, the structure remains in the shape of the piazza, surrounded by a circle of buildings built in/on/of the original structure.

The city ramparts are massive (tall, but more importantly thick), and were adapted as an urban park in the 1800s. The total circumference runs about 4km, a wonderful place for a walk with a view. There are also spectacular churches and a few remaining towers to climb:

The **Basilica of San Frediano is a Romanesque church named after an Irish bishop of Lucca. It’s notable for its 13th-century Byzantinesque mosaic on the façade. The interior is a bit jumbled – wide open, but mixing styles from various periods of expansion.
**Cattedrale di San Martino is perhaps the most famous of the many historical churches in Lucca. The construction of the current building (built over an earlier church), was begun in 1060. Visit for the grand interior, the labyrinth carving on the front portico, and the Holy Face of Lucca statue – which has been recently (and very impressively) restored.
**Chiesa dei Santi Giovanni e Reparata was an excellent find, a 12th-century deconsecrated church with a major archaeological area, lovely austere interior, and a bell tower to climb (not the best view).
**San Michele in Foro is one of my favorites – the exterior in particular, which dates to the 13th century. Built over the Roman forum, it has clear signs of “creative reuse” of building materials. There’s an excellent statue of Archangel Michael on top, beautiful stone inlays, and carved pillars. On the interior, look for the medieval graffiti marking many of the columns.
The **Torre Guinigi is my favorite view point (so far). A typical example of local Romanesque-Gothic architecture, the 45 meter tall tower dates from the latter half of the 14th century, when a number of wealthy families were building towers within Lucca’s walls as status symbols. It’s a distinctive landmark, with oak trees growing on top.

There’s no end of places to grab a drink, usually served with a small snack:

**Caffè Santa Zita is a fancier place overlooking Basilica di San Frediano, with a maze of highly decorated rooms in the interior
**Vinaiolo has a good natural wine selection in a sunny square

We haven’t had a bad meal yet, quality is all very high:

**Bonny Pizza has, as you’d imagine, very good pizza. This is a popular, and not particularly casual spot (lots of very nicely dressed people enjoying the romantic cellar setting), reserve well in advance.
**Ele Gelati e Granite has really excellent gelato in highly creative flavours – worth seeking out (right off of Piazza San Michele).
**Fiaschetto has truly remarkable sandwiches, some of the best we’ve ever had.
**Gigliola offers a diverse range of small plates to share, with a regularly changing menu and good wine selection.

We haven’t stayed in the city overnight yet. https://www.thetuscanian.com/ looked like an appealing option.

Pisa

We went to Pisa in 2020, extremely briefly, and then fled because of the crowds. I also visited around 2007. The tower deserves more than a trip to the tower – for a future trip.

Articles:

https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/day-tripper-pisa-beyond-leaning-tower