Erected to defend the city and ensure a secular peace, the walls of Lucca are now the main attraction for tourists of Lucca, a beautiful city in Tuscany.
A bit of history about the walls of Lucca
The walls of Lucca are the second largest wall structure in Europe and are second only to the walls of Nicosia, capital of Cyprus.
The current city walls of Lucca are exactly 4 kilometres and 223 metres long. The work began in 1504 and ended approximately in the second half of the seventeenth century. The purpose of the walls was to defend the Republic of Lucca from the expansionist aims of Florence and the Grand Duchy of Modena. However, they never had the opportunity to serve the function for which they were designed and built.
Over time the function of the walls changed radically and by the will of Marie Louise of Bourbon became a large public park: the outdoor spaces were transformed into large lawns and then the walls were also used for walking.
The circle of walls has 11 defensive bastions, 12 curtains and 6 monumental doors.
The first is Porta San Pietro, from 1566. Subsequently, Porta Santa Maria (or Borgo Giannotti) was completed in 1593 and then Porta San Donato in 1629. The other 3 doors are more modern, it was Elisa Baciocchi who wanted the construction of the doors to resume and in his honor Porta Elisa was built in 1811. One hundred years later Porta S.Anna (Porta Vittorio Emanuele) was built. The most recent gate is Porta San Jacopo, built in 1931.
The walls of Lucca today
Today, the walls of Lucca are used by locals to carry out physical activity, from biking to jogging, and at certain times of the year, concerts, shows and events of national interest are held in the spaces in front of the walls.
Tourists can visit the structure, the museums and the immense meadows that make the place even more fascinating and suggestive.
Furthermore, the numerous buildings that at the time were used by the Republic to defend the city today have turned into bars, restaurants and cellars.
It is possible to have dinner, have an aperitif and spend time, breathing fresh and clean air, away from smog and daily chaos.
The walls of Lucca are the main attractive destination for tourists who visit the city, the grandeur, beauty, culture and art make this place one of the most beautiful in Tuscany.
You see along the grey olive groves vaporizing their faces on the knolls, Oh, Serchio, and the city with the tree-lined circle, where the woman from Guinigi sleeps [...]
Mura di Lucca, Via delle Mura Urbane, 55100 Lucca LU
