The walls of the Tuscan town of Lucca came into the news in recent years when comic-book fans took to scaling them in order to gain entry to the town for Lucca Comics, a comic-book festival. However, the walls have always been one of the most recognisable features of this charming town. They now attract tourists and locals alike who admire their construction and design and who also make use of them as a place to walk, jog and cycle. For leisure, exercise or getting to know the layout and atmosphere of the city, the walls are the best place to start! Find a villa with pool in Lucca and spend a day strolling or sweating it out on the city's most distinctive feature.
The historical centre of Lucca is set inside a unique wall system. They are built of small red bricks specifically created for their construction and were built in the 16th and 17th centuries as part of their defences against Florence, who they were constantly at odds with and in fear of. However, the walls were never actually put to the test in a conflict with that other city and remain intact to this day.
Although the current walls as we see them today date to this later period, they actually have much older origins going back to the second century BC.
Although the current walls as we see them today date to this later period, they actually have much older origins going back to the second century BC.
In Roman times, the first walls were built when the first incarnation of the city was established. In the Middle Ages, another set of walls replaced the first, beginning construction in the 11th century and ending in the 13th century. Remnants of the Roman walls remain in the foundations of some of the buildings in the city such as those on Corso Garibaldi and the Church of Santa Maria della Rosa.
A third project of wall-building took place in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries due to the expansion of the city's size and the Renaissance saw the construction of the monumental walls around Lucca which are the most visible today.
Despite the fact that the walls of Lucca never saw military action, they came into use in 1799 as a place for the public to use. Maria Luisa of Bourbon inaugurated the walls in place to walk and involved the architect of trust to make the walls in keeping with the new purpose. The whole wall is about 4 km long and is interrupted by 11 bastions, all different in design. Trees were planted along the lengths of the wall and are well-tended and the area outside the walls is made up of lush green fields free of development, making the walls a perfectly charming site with wonderful views. They also offer a great vista over the old town itself. Be sure to take the time to walk them for yourself when you visit Lucca, they are quite unique, pleasant and beautiful.
A third project of wall-building took place in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries due to the expansion of the city's size and the Renaissance saw the construction of the monumental walls around Lucca which are the most visible today.
Despite the fact that the walls of Lucca never saw military action, they came into use in 1799 as a place for the public to use. Maria Luisa of Bourbon inaugurated the walls in place to walk and involved the architect of trust to make the walls in keeping with the new purpose. The whole wall is about 4 km long and is interrupted by 11 bastions, all different in design. Trees were planted along the lengths of the wall and are well-tended and the area outside the walls is made up of lush green fields free of development, making the walls a perfectly charming site with wonderful views. They also offer a great vista over the old town itself. Be sure to take the time to walk them for yourself when you visit Lucca, they are quite unique, pleasant and beautiful.
Photo credits
picture 1: Tango7174 / CC BY-SA 4.0;
picture 3: Myrabella / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 1: Tango7174 / CC BY-SA 4.0;
picture 3: Myrabella / CC BY-SA 3.0
