About Lucca - A Brief History Of Lucca Tuscany

Lucca from above, aerial shot of lucca Let's go way back in Lucca. Although there are no doubt of origins before 180 BC, but at this is where our little hidtoric trip in Lucca begins - as a Roman colony. A natural gateway between the North of Italy and the South as merchant roads developed. And the Roman origins are still in evidence in Lucca's where the original rectangular grid street plan still exists, the Piazza S. Michele sits atop the ancient forum and the central oval shaped Piazza Anfiteatro sits atop the original Roman coliseum. In fact, in the wonderful ancient Italian tradition of the end of day passagiata, it is said that Cesare once did the passagiata around the amphitheater in his day, in Lucca.

Today there are two places where the passagiata takes place in Lucca - along the main shopping street of Via Fillungo, and on top of the expansive walls that ring the city.

In spite of the Roman reign, Lucca essentially was always an independent republic, with various rulers coming and going. In fact it was the largest Italian city-state with a republican constitution ("comune") to remain an independent republic over the centuries - next to Venice, of course. And through the centuries of wars between Pisa and Florence, it's system of water moat, thick walls lined with canons and deep pockets allowed Lucca to be spared the ravages and siege of war. Until Napoleon came along.

In 1805 Lucca was taken by Napoleon, being no match for his modern guns and canons - the city simply gave up before a shot was fired. And Napoleon put his sister Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi in charge as Princess of Lucca. After 1815 it became a Bourbon-Parma duchy, then part of Tuscany in 1847 and finally part of the Italian State.

Lucca from above, aerial shot of lucca Lucca's march to prosperity began in the 11th century through the silk trade when its cloths rivaled that of famous Byzantium. And from silk, wealth continued in farming and merchant banks, until Elisa Bonaparte came along.
She said (and we major paraphrase here), "Silk belongs to the Orient, we will make our money on toilet paper and tissue!" Which they still do to this day.

When you have a rental "in Lucca" you are actually staying in the municipality of Lucca - not the city. The territory of Lucca includes eighty-one "fractions", or local areas. We have rentals in some. They are: Antraccoli, Aquilea, Arancio, Arliano, Arsina, Balbano, Cappella, Carignano, Castagnori, Castiglioncello, Cerasomma, Chiatri, Ciciana, Deccio di Brancoli, Fagnano, Farneta, Gattaiola, Gignano di Brancoli, Maggiano, Massa Pisana, Mastiano, Meati, Monte San Quirico, Montuolo, Mutigliano, Mugnano, Nave, Nozzano, Nozzano San Pietro, Nozzano Vecchia, Ombreglio di Brancoli, Palmata, Piaggione, Piazza di Brancoli, Piazzano, Picciorana, Pieve di Brancoli, Pieve Santo Stefano, Ponte a Moriano, Ponte del Giglio, Ponte San Pietro, Pontetetto, Saltocchio, San Cassiano a Vico, San Cassano di Moriano, San Concordio di Moriano, San Donato, San Filippo, San Gimignano, San Giusto di Brancoli, San Lorenzo a Vaccoli, San Lorenzo di Moriano, San Macario in monte, San Macario in piano, San Michele di Moriano, San Michele in Escheto, San Pancazio, San Pietro a Vico, San Quirico in Moriano, San Vito, Sant'Alessio, Sant'Angelo in Campo, Sant'Ilario di Brancoli, Santa Maria a Colle, Santa Maria del Giudice, Santissima Annunziata, Santo Stefano di Moriano, Sesto di Moriano, Sorbano del Giudice, Sorbano del Vescovo, Stabbiano, Tempagnano di Lunata, Torre, Torre alla Maddalena, Torre Alta, Tramonte, Tramonte di Brancoli, Vallebuia, Vecoli, Vicopelago, Vinchiana. That's 81.

Lucca and the appenine mountains to the north Music: Best known for the pride of their most famous son, Giacomo Puccini, Lucca is also the birthplace of other composers such as Francesco Geminiani, Gioseffo Guami, Luigi Boccherini, and Alfredo Catalani.

Wine & Food: Lucca has the best olive oil in all of Italy. Yes, I am sure others believe that their olive oil is better, but the soil, temperature, and nearby sea provide Lucca in this unique position. Best time of year for this is the first week in November when the fresh oil is pale, cloudy green and the taste provides hints of the earth, leaves and sun. The wine is generally red, and rivals anything you will find throughout Tuscany. It should be drunk after a year in the bottle (fresh and young) and with food.

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