Lucca is known as an Italian "Città d'arte" (City of Art) from its intactRenaissance-eracity walls[5][6] and its very well preserved historic center, where, among other buildings and monuments, are located thePiazza dell'Anfiteatro, which has its origins in the second half of the 1st century A.D., theGuinigi Tower, a 45-metre-tall (150 ft) tower that dates from the 14th century[7][8] and the Cathedral of San Martino.[9]
To theAncient Romans, Lucca was known asLuca. From more recent and concrete toponymic studies, the name Lucca has references that lead to "sacred grove" (Latin:lucus), "to cut" (Latin:lucare) and "luminous space" (leuk, a term used by the first European populations). The origin apparently refers to a wooded area deforested to make room for light or to a clearing located on a river island ofSerchio debris, in the middle of wooded areas.[11][12]
The territory of present-day Lucca was certainly settled by theEtruscans, and it also has traces of a probable earlierLigurian presence (calledLuk meaning "marsh", which was previously speculated as a possible origin of the city's name), dating from the 3rd century BC. However, it was only with the arrival of theRomans that the area took on the appearance of a real town. It obtained the status of a Roman colony in 180 BC and of a municipality (municipium) in 89 BC.[13][14]
The rectangular grid of its historical centre preserves the Roman street plan, and the Piazza San Michele occupies the site of the ancientforum. The outline of the Romanamphitheatre is still seen in thePiazza dell'Anfiteatro, and the outline of aRoman theater is visible inPiazza Sant'Augostino. Fragments of theRoman-era walls are incorporated into the church of Santa Maria della Rosa.
Frediano, anIrishmonk, wasbishop of Lucca in the early sixth century.[16] At one point, Lucca was plundered byOdoacer, the first Germanic King of Italy. Lucca was an important city and fortress even in the sixth century, whenNarses besieged it for several months in 553. From 576 to 797, under theLombards, it was the capital of a duchy, known asDuchy of Tuscia, which included a large part of today's Tuscany and theprovince of Viterbo, during this time the city also minted its own coins.[17] TheHoly Face of Lucca (or Volto Santo), a major relic supposedly carved byNicodemus, arrived in 742.
Among the population that inhabited Lucca in the medieval era, there was also a significant presence ofJews. The first mention of their presence in the city is from a document from the year 859. The Jewish community was led by theKalonymos family (which later became a major component of proto-Ashkenazic Jewry).[18]
Thanks above all to theHoly Face and to the relics of important saints, such asSan Regolo andSaint Fridianus, the city was one of the main destinations of theVia Francigena, the major pilgrimage route to Rome from the north.[19]
The Lucca cloth was a silk fabric that was woven with gold or silver threads. It was a popular type of textile in Lucca throughout the mediaeval period.[20][21]
Lucca became prosperous through thesilk trade that began in the eleventh century, and came to rival the silks ofByzantium. During the tenth–eleventh centuries Lucca was the capital of the feudalmargraviate of Tuscany, more or less independent but owing nominal allegiance to theHoly Roman Emperor.
In 1057,Anselm of Baggio (later Pope Alexander II) was appointed bishop of Lucca, a position he held also during the papacy. As bishop of Lucca he managed to rebuild the patrimony of theChurch of Lucca, recovering alienated assets, obtaining numerous donations thanks to his prestige, and had theCathedral of the city rebuilt. From 1073 to 1086, the bishop of Lucca was his nephewAnselm II, a prominent figure in the Investiture Controversy.[22][23]
During the High Middle Ages, one of the most illustrious dynasties of Lucca was the noble Allucingoli family, who managed to forge strong ties with the Church. Among the family members were Ubaldo Allucingoli, who was elected to the Papacy asPope Lucius III in 1181, and theCardinalsGerardo Allucingoli andUberto Allucingoli.[24][25]
After the death ofMatilda of Tuscany, the city began to constitute itself an independentcommune with a charter in 1160. For almost 500 years, Lucca remained an independent republic. There were many minor provinces in the region between southernLiguria and northern Tuscany dominated by theMalaspina; Tuscany in this time was a part of feudal Europe.Dante'sDivine Comedy includes many references to the great feudal families who had huge jurisdictions with administrative and judicial rights. Dante spent some of his exile in Lucca.
In 1273 and again in 1277, Lucca was ruled by aGuelphcapitano del popolo (captain of the people) namedLuchetto Gattilusio. In 1314, internal discord allowedUguccione della Faggiuola of Pisa to make himself lord of Lucca. The Lucchesi expelled him two years later, and handed over the city to anothercondottiero,Castruccio Castracani, under whose rule it became a leading state in central Italy. Lucca rivalledFlorence until Castracani's death in 1328. On 22 and 23 September 1325, in thebattle of Altopascio, Castracani defeatedFlorence's Guelphs. For this he was nominated byLouis IV the Bavarian to become duke of Lucca. Castracani's tomb is in the church of San Francesco. His biography isMachiavelli's third famous book on political rule.
Occupied by the troops of Louis of Bavaria, the city was sold to a rich Genoese, Gherardino Spinola, then seized by John, king of Bohemia. Pawned to the Rossi of Parma, by them it was ceded toMastino II della Scala ofVerona, sold to the Florentines, surrendered to the Pisans, and then nominally liberated by the emperorCharles IV and governed by his vicar.
In 1408, Lucca hosted aconvocation organized byPope Gregory XII with his cardinals intended to end the schism in the papacy.[26]
Lucca managed, at first as ademocracy, and after 1628 as anoligarchy, to maintain its independence alongside ofVenice andGenoa, and painted the wordLibertas on its banner until the French Revolution in 1789.[27]
Lucca had been the second largest Italian city state (afterVenice) with a republican constitution ("comune") to remain independent over the centuries.
Between 1799 and 1800, it was contested by the French and Austrian armies. Finally the French prevailed and granted a democratic constitution in the 1801. However, already in 1805 the Republic of Lucca was converted into a monarchy byNapoleon, who installed his sisterElisa Bonaparte Baciocchi as "Princess of Lucca".
In 1942, duringWorld War II, aprisoner-of-war camp was established at the village ofColle di Compito, in the municipality ofCapannori, about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Lucca. Its official number was P.G. (prigionieri di guerra) 60,[28] and it was usually referred to as PG 60 Lucca.[29] Although it never had permanent structures and accommodation consisted of tents in an area prone to flooding, it housed more than 3,000 British andCommonwealth prisoners of war during the period of its existence. It was handed over to the Germans on 10 September 1943, not long after the signing of theItalian armistice. During theItalian Social Republic, as apuppet state of the Germans,political prisoners, foreigners,common law prisoners andJews were interned there, and it functioned as aconcentration camp. In June 1944, the prisoners were moved toBagni di Lucca.[28]
Lucca is also known for its marble deposits. After a fire in the early 1900s, the West Wing of theLegislative Assembly of Ontario was rebuilt with marble sourced in Lucca. The floor mosaic in the West Wing was hand-laid and is constructed entirely of Italian, Lucca marble.
The walls encircling the old town remain intact, even though the city has expanded and been modernised, which is unusual for cities in this region. These walls were built initially as a defensiverampart which, after losing their military importance, became a pedestrian promenade (the Passeggiata delle Mure Urbane) atop the walls which not only links the Bastions of Santa Croce, San Frediano, San Martino, San Pietro/Battisti, San Salvatore, La Libertà/Cairoli, San Regolo, San Colombano, Santa Maria, San Paolino/Catalani and San Donato but also passes over the gates (Porte) of San Donato, Santa Maria, San Jacopo, Elisa, San Pietro, and Sant'Anna. Each of the four principal sides of the structure is lined with a tree species different from the others.
The walled city is encircled by Piazzale Boccherini, Viale Lazzaro Papi, Viale Carlo Del Prete, Piazzale Martiri della Libertà, Via Batoni, Viale Agostino Marti, Viale G. Marconi (videGuglielmo Marconi), Piazza Don A. Mei, VialePacini, Viale Giusti, Piazza Curtatone, Piazzale Ricasoli, Viale Ricasoli, Piazza Risorgimento (videRisorgimento), and VialeGiosuè Carducci.
The town includes a number of public squares, most notably thePiazza dell'Anfiteatro, (site of the ancient Roman amphitheater), the Piazzale Verdi, the Piazza Napoleone, and the Piazza San Michele.
Casa di Puccini: House of the opera composer, at the nearbyTorre del Lago, where the composer spent his summers. APuccini opera festival takes place every July–August
San Michele: church at Antraccoli, founded in 777, it was enlarged and rebuilt in the twelfth century with the introduction of a sixteenth-century portico
San Giorgio church in the locality of Brancoli, built in the late twelfth century has a bell tower in Lombard-Romanesque style, the interior houses a massiveambo (1194) with four columns mounted on lion sculptures, a highly decorated Romanesque octagonal baptismal fount, and the altar is supported by six small columns with human figures
San Romano, erected by the Dominican order in the second half of the 13th century, is today a deconsecrated Roman Catholic Church located on Piazza San Romano in the center of Lucca
Association football arrived in Lucca in 1905 and has its roots inBrazil, thanks to a number of fans that helped found the club who had learned the game in Brazil. TheLucchese 1905, or simply Lucchese, plays inSerie C, the third tier ofItalian football, having last been in top tierSerie A in 1952. The club plays its home games atStadio Porta Elisa, just outside the northeast wall of the city.[40][41]
Consorzio Lucchese Autotrasporti Pubblici, also known asCLAP, was established in 1969, as the main company in theProvince of Lucca to manage the local public transport. In 2005, following the decision of theRegion to assign the local public transport to a single operator for each of the 14 lots constituted, CLAP merged with the companiesLazzi andC.LU.B. Scpa to form the consortiumVaiBus which was absorbed by the newly formed companyCTT Nord in 2012. VaiBus was part ofONE Scarl the consortium holder of the two-year (2018-2019) contract for the management of theTPL throughout the Region.[42]
Since 1 November 2021 the public local transport is managed byAutolinee Toscane.[43]
^abHaegen, Anne Mueller von der; Strasser, Ruth F. (2013). "Lucca".Art & Architecture: Tuscany. Potsdam: H.F.Ullmann Publishing. p. 57.ISBN978-3-8480-0321-1.
^Boatwright, Mary et al.The Romans: From Village to Empire, pg 229.
^abAngelini, Silvia Q. (2018)."Colle di Compecito". In Megargee, G.P.; White, J.R. (eds.).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945, Volume III: Camps and Ghettos under European Regimes Aligned with Nazi Germany. Indiana University Press. p. 421.ISBN978-0-253-02386-5. Retrieved26 May 2020.
