Lucca Italy?

Question

I am thinking about traveling to Lucca and would like some feedback on things to do there. Do they have bike rentals? Is there interesting places to ride outside of the city walls?

Answer 1

I just spent an afternoon there.  It was lovely, but I guess I can't tell you about the bikes......

There was a market going on there, selling shoes, watches etc all the things you would expect.

There are a couple of chruches that have amazing decorations (outside mainly) and a little Roman amphitheature / oval area with lovely houses all around.Its a lovely town to walk around and much less busy than Florence.

Answer 2

Yes they have bike rentals.

Places to visit in Lucca:

- Orto Botanico Comunale - the City Botanical Gardens, designed by Elisa Baciocchi, and created by Maria Luisa di Borbone for the Regia Universita of Lucca.

More than 700 types of local and exotic plant species in fashion during the romantic 19th Century grow in this interesting garden which extends for more than 2 kilometers.

There is also a school and an old library which houses some special herb plants and examples of rare scientific experiments.

Duomo di San Martino - St. Martin Cathedral, located in the square of the same name, with its Gothic interior and Romanesque facade, was built in 1204 by Guidetto da Como, a master builder from Lombardy. It has three orders of loggias, resting on small columns, richly decorated with inlaid and raised carvings in different colored marbles.

The far portico, asymmetrical due to the weight of an older bell tower leaning upon it, is covered with beautiful bas relief’s, partly attributed to Nicola Pisano.

The interior with three naves is airy and elegant and seems taller due to its fine three-mullioned windows and fake women’s gallery.

There are many works of art in the side chapels including paintings by Ghirlandaio and Tintoretto.

Chiesa di San Michele in Foro - St. Michael’s Church, stands out impressively in the square of the same name which was previously the Roman marketplace and contains many medieval and Renaissance buildings. The beautiful church in white limestone, rebuilt over remains of the 8th century primitive church, is a typical example of the architecture of Pisa and Lucca.

- Casa di Puccini - the 15th century house in which Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) was born contains portraits of the great composer, costume designs for his operas and the piano he used when composing his last opera, Turandot. Left unfinished at his death, it was completed by Franco Alfano and first performed two years later at La Scala, Milan.

- Palazzo Mansi - Mansi Palace is a delightful, aristocratic villa built during the 18th Century which has maintained its original decorations including some magnificent frescos and much of the original furnishings.

- Pinacoteca Nazionale - National Art Gallery, is located in Mansi Palace in the main reception rooms and includes works by Tuscan master painters including Andrea del Sarto.

- Via Fillungo - is the smart shopping street of Lucca and where the locals go to walk and be perceived. A series of palaces and historic homes dating from the 15th and 16th centuries follow one another along the street.

- S. Frediano - is a church which oddly faces east so that it won’t be suffocated by the wall. Built in the 12th century the facade is decorated with a mosaic dating from the 13th century. The austerity of the three interior naves enhances the masterpieces which they enclose: a holy water font from the 12th century decorated with bas relief and the altar frontal sculpted out of one single piece of stone by Jacopo della Quercia.

- Piazza Anfiteatro - is an unusual square with an elliptical shape built on what was originally a Roman amphitheatre. Planted for use as an orchard in 1830 it became a market area and today is another open air meeting place for local residents and provides a suggestive setting for concerts and plays.

- Palazzo dei Guinigi - this house was once owned by the powerful Guinigi family, rulers of the city in the 15th century. They kept Florence at bay, so Lucca was never conquered by the Medici, remaining independent until the late 1700s. The red brick palazzo, built in the late 14th century, has late-Gothic windows. The striking 41 meters defensive tower alongside, the Torre del Guinigi, has a small roof garden, hence the ilex trees sprouting incongruously at the top.

- Ramparts - a promenade runs along the top of the city walls, built in 1504-1645. Maria Luisa di Borbone made the ramparts into a public park in the early 19th century, with a double avenue of trees. It makes a delightful walk with fine views of Lucca. There are occasional guided tours of the chambers and passages inside one of the bastions.

More about Lucca:

http://www.tuscanweb.com/news/?ID=189