Small pleasures and subtle surprises in Lucca

Small pleasures and subtle surprises in Lucca

PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

Embracing the heart of Lucca stand two miles and a half of a Renaissance wall in excellent condition, converted today into a stroll. No wonder such length, as its legacy deserves it: more than a hundred churches, many medieval palaces and lively streets, full of colour, are the major attractions of this city once home to Giacomo Puccini, Luigi Boccherini and Alfredo Catalani. In 1799 Napoleon occupied Lucca and created here a principality for her sister, Elisa Bonaparte, who naturally tried to transform Lucca into a new Versailles. Then came the Bourbons, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and finally the Unification. Although Florence and Pisa enjoy greater fame as well as number of visitors, Lucca treasures an amazing patrimony. Its streets, alleys, squares and towers were, back in the late Middle Ages, witness to a prosperous silk trade, too.

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