Lucca ( , ) is a city and '' comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one of the Italian's "Città d'arte" (Arts town), thanks to its intact Renaissance-era

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

and its very well preserved historic center, where, among other buildings and monuments, are located the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, which has its origins in the second half of the 1st century A.D. and the Guinigi Tower, a tower that dates from the 1300s. The city is also the birthplace of numerous world-class composers, including Giacomo Puccini,

Alfredo Catalani Alfredo Catalani (19 June 1854 – 7 August 1893) was an Italian operatic composer. He is best remembered for his operas ''Loreley'' (1890) and ''La Wally'' (1892). ''La Wally'' was composed to a libretto by Luigi Illica, and features Catalani's ...

, and Luigi Boccherini.

Toponymy

By the Romans, Lucca was known as ''Luca''. From more recent and concrete toponymic studies, the name Lucca has references that lead to "sacred wood" ( 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 of Serchio debris, in the middle of wooded areas.

History

Antiquity

The territory of present-day Lucca was certainly settled by the Etruscans, having also traces of an probable earlier Ligurian presence (called ''Luk'' meaning "marsh", which has already been speculated as a possible origin for the city's name), dating from 3rd century BC. However, it was only with the arrival of the Romans, that the area took on the appearance of a real town, obtaining the status of a Roman colony in 180 BC, and transformed into a town hall in 89 BC. The rectangular grid of its historical centre preserves the Roman street plan, and the Piazza San Michele occupies the site of the ancient forum. The outline of the Roman amphitheatre is still seen in the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, and the outline of a

Roman theater Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

is visible in Piazza Sant'Augostino. Fragments of the Roman-era walls are incorporated into the church of Santa Maria della Rosa. At the Lucca Conference, in 56 BC,

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

, Pompey, and

Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115 – 53 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome." Wallechinsky, David & Wallace, I ...

reaffirmed their political alliance known as the First Triumvirate.

Middle Ages

Torre guinigi, view 11, piazza dell'anfiteatro

Frediano Fridianus ( it, San Frediano, also Frigidanus, Frigidian, Frigianu), was an Irish prince and hermit, fl. 6th century. Tradition names him as a son of King Ultach of Ulster. He later migrated to Italy, where he was appointed as Bishop of Lucca. The ...

, an Irish monk, was bishop of Lucca in the early sixth century. At one point, Lucca was plundered by

Odoacer Odoacer ( ; – 15 March 493 AD), also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a soldier and statesman of barbarian background, who deposed the child emperor Romulus Augustulus and became Rex/Dux (476–493). Odoacer's overthrow of Romulus Augustul ...

, the first Germanic King of Italy. Lucca was an important city and fortress even in the sixth century, when Narses besieged it for several months in 553. From 576 to 797, under the Lombards, it was the capital of a duchy, known as ''Ducato di Tuscia'', which included a large part of today's Tuscany and the province of Viterbo, during this time the city also minted its own coins. The Holy Face of Lucca (or Volto Santo), a major relic supposedly carved by Nicodemus, arrived in 742. Among the population that inhabited Lucca in the medieval era, there was also a significant presence of Jews. The first mention of their presence in the city is from a document from the year 859. The jewish community was led by the

Kalonymos family Kalonymos or Kalonymus ( he, קָלוֹנִימוּס ''Qālōnīmūs'') is a prominent Jewish family who lived in Italy, mostly in Lucca and in Rome, which, after the settlement at Mainz and Speyer of several of its members, took during many gener ...

(which later became a major component of proto- Ashkenazic Jewry). Thanks above all to the Holy Face and to the relics of important saints, such as

San Regolo San Regolo is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gaiole in Chianti, province of Siena. At the time of the 2001 census its population was 64.Saint Fridianus Fridianus ( it, San Frediano, also Frigidanus, Frigidian, Frigianu), was an Irish prince and hermit, fl. 6th century. Tradition names him as a son of King Ultach of Ulster. He later migrated to Italy, where he was appointed as Bishop of Lucca. T ...

, the city was one of the main destinations of the Via Francigena, the major pilgrimage route to Rome from the north. 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. Lucca became prosperous through the silk trade that began in the eleventh century, and came to rival the silks of

Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion ( grc, Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' cont ...

. During the tenth–eleventh centuries Lucca was the capital of the feudal

margraviate of Tuscany The March of Tuscany ( it, Marca di Tuscia; ) was a march of the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages. Located in northwestern central Italy, it bordered the Papal States to the south, the Ligurian Sea to the west and ...

, more or less independent but owing nominal allegiance to the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

. 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 the Church of Lucca, recovering alienated assets, obtaining numerous donations thanks to his prestige, and had the Cathedral of the city rebuilt. From 1073 to 1086, the bishop of Lucca was his nephew Anselm II, a prominent figure in the Investiture Controversy. 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 as Pope Lucius III in 1181, and the Cardinals

Gerardo Allucingoli Gerardo Allucingoli (died 1208) was an Italian cardinal and cardinal-nephewW. Maleczek, p. 78 says that his relationship with pope Lucius III and the surname Allucingoli are not proven. of Pope Lucius III, who elevated him in 1182. He was canon of ...

and

Uberto Allucingoli Uberto Allucingoli was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal and cardinal-nephew of Pope Lucius III, his uncle who ostensibly elevated him with the title of San Lorenzo in Damaso in 1182. Modern scholars consider him a fictitious individual w ...

Republican period (12th to 19th century)

After the death of

Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as th ...

, the city began to constitute itself an independent commune with a charter in 1160. For almost 500 years, Lucca remained an independent republic. There were many minor provinces in the region between southern Liguria and northern Tuscany dominated by the

Malaspina Malaspina can refer to: ;People *The Italian noble Malaspina family. Members of this family include: **Albert Malaspina (1160/65 – 1206/12), Italian marquess. ** Conrad Malaspina (The Old) ( – after 1254), Italian nobleman. ** Spinetta Malaspin ...

; Tuscany in this time was a part of feudal Europe. Dante’s ''Divine 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 a Guelph '' capitano del popolo'' (captain of the people) named Luchetto Gattilusio. In 1314, internal discord allowed

Uguccione della Faggiuola Uguccione della Faggiuola (c. 1250 – 1 November 1319) was an Italian condottiero, and Ghibelline magistrate of Pisa, Lucca and Forlì (from 1297). Biography Uguccione was born at Casteldelci and came to prominence in the late 13th century as ca ...

of Pisa to make himself lord of Lucca. The Lucchesi expelled him two years later, and handed over the city to another ''

condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...

'', Castruccio Castracani, under whose rule it became a leading state in central Italy. Lucca rivalled Florence until Castracani's death in 1328. On 22 and 23 September 1325, in the battle of Altopascio, Castracani defeated Florence's Guelphs. For this he was nominated by Louis IV the Bavarian to become duke of Lucca. Castracani's tomb is in the church of San Francesco. His biography is Machiavelli'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 to

Mastino II della Scala Mastino II della Scala (1308 – 3 June 1351) was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of Northern Italy. He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother ...

of Verona, sold to the Florentines, surrendered to the Pisans, and then nominally liberated by the emperor Charles IV and governed by his vicar. In 1408, Lucca hosted a

convocation A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a speci ...

organized by Pope Gregory XII with his cardinals intended to end the schism in the papacy. Lucca managed, at first as a democracy, and after 1628 as an oligarchy, to maintain its independence alongside of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and Genoa, and painted the word ''Libertas'' on its banner until the French Revolution in 1789.

Early modern period

Lucca had been the second largest Italian city state (after

) with a republican constitution ("comune") to remain independent over the centuries. Between 1799 and 1800 it was contended 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 by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, who installed his sister Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi as "Princess of Lucca". From 1815 to 1847 it was a Bourbon-Parma

duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a Middle Ages, medieval country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once exis ...

. The only reigning dukes of Lucca were Maria Luisa of Spain, who was succeeded by her son Charles II, Duke of Parma in 1824. Meanwhile, the

Duchy of Parma The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza ( it, Ducato di Parma e Piacenza, la, Ducatus Parmae et Placentiae), was an Italian state created in 1545 and located in northern Italy, in the current region of Emilia-Romagna. Originally a realm of the Farnese ...

had been assigned for life to

Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma french: Marie-Louise-Léopoldine-Françoise-Thérèse-Josèphe-Lucie it, Maria Luigia Leopoldina Francesca Teresa Giuseppa Lucia , house = Habsburg-Lorraine , father = Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Maria Theresa of ...

, the second wife of

. In accordance with the Treaty of Vienna (1815), upon the death of

in 1847, Parma reverted to Charles II, Duke of Parma, while Lucca lost independence and was annexed to the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...

. As part of Tuscany, it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860 and finally part of the

Italian State Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional ...

in 1861.

World War II internment camp

In 1942, during World War II, a prisoner-of-war camp was established at the village of

Colle di Compito Colle di Compito (also ''Colle di Cómpito'') is a frazione of Capannori in the province of Lucca region of Tuscany in Italy. Geography Colle di Compito lies approximately 7 km south of the town of Capannori, 10 km south-east of the provincial c ...

, in the municipality of Capannori, about from Lucca. Its official number was P.G. (''prigionieri di guerra'') 60, and it was usually referred to as PG 60 Lucca. Although it never had permanent structures and accommodation consisted of tents in an area prone to flooding, it housed more than 3,000 British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

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 the Italian armistice. During the

Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...

, as a puppet state of the Germans, political prisoners, foreigners, common law prisoners and Jews were interned there, and it functioned as a concentration camp. In June 1944 the prisoners were moved to Bagni di Lucca.

Government

Culture

Lucca is the birthplace of

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

s Giacomo Puccini ('' La Bohème'' and ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...

''), Nicolao Dorati,

Francesco Geminiani 230px Francesco Saverio Geminiani (baptised 5 December 1687 – 17 September 1762) was an Italian violinist, composer, and music theorist. BBC Radio 3 once described him as "now largely forgotten, but in his time considered almost a musical god, ...

Gioseffo Guami Gioseffo Guami (27 January 1542 – 1611) (Gioseffo Giuseppe Guami or Gioseffo da Lucca) was an Italian composer, organist, violinist and singer of the late Renaissance Venetian School. He was a prolific composer of madrigals and instrumental mu ...

, Luigi Boccherini, and

. It is also the birthplace of artist

Benedetto Brandimarte Benedetto Brandimarte or Brandimarti (late-16th century) was an Italian painter. He is a representative of the Mannerist style, which is reflected in the extreme artificiality shown in the unnatural movement of the figures and the brilliance of th ...

. Since 2004, Lucca is home to IMT Lucca, a public research institution and a selective graduate school and part of the Superior Graduate Schools in Italy (''

Grandes écoles Grandes may refer to: * Agustín Muñoz Grandes, Spanish general and politician *Banksia ser. Grandes, a series of plant species native to Australia * Grandes y San Martín, a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain ...

'').

Events

Lucca hosts the annual Lucca Summer Festival. The 2006 edition featured live performances by

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

, Placebo, Massive Attack,

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...

, Tracy Chapman, and Santana at the Piazza Napoleone. Lucca hosts the annual Lucca Comics and Games festival, Europe's largest festival for

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

, movies,

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

and related subjects. Other events include: * Lucca Film Festival * Lucca Digital Photography Fest * Procession of Santa Croce, on 13 September. Costume procession through the town's roads. * Lucca Jazz Donna Moreover, Lucca hosts Lucca Biennale Cartasia, an international biennial contemporary art exhibition focusing solely on Paper Art.

Film and television

Mauro Bolognini's 1958 film ''

Giovani mariti ''Young Husbands'' ( it, Giovani mariti) is a 1958 Italian comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. For this film Armando Nannuzzi won a Silver Ribbon (Nastro d'Argento) for Best Cinematography. ...

'', with

Sylva Koscina Sylva Koscina (; born Silvija Košćina, ; 22 August 1933 – 26 December 1994) was a Yugoslav-born Italian actress, maybe best remembered for her role as Iole, the bride of Hercules ( Steve Reeves) in ''Hercules'' (1958) and ''Hercules Unchai ...

, is set and was filmed in Lucca. '' Top Gear'' filmed the third episode of the 17th season here.

Architecture

Lucca is also known for its marble deposits. After a fire in the early 1900s, the West Wing of the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

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.

Main sights

Torre dell'orologio, view 11 via fillungo, san frediano

Walls, streets, and squares

The walls encircling the old town remain intact, even as the city expanded and modernized, unusual for cities in the region. Initially built as a defensive rampart, once the walls lost their military importance they became a pedestrian promenade, the Passeggiata delle Mura Urbane, a street atop the walls linking the bastions. It passes through 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; and over the gates (Porte): 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 different tree species than 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 (''vide''

Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquis of Marconi (; 25 April 187420 July 1937) was an Italians, Italian inventor and electrical engineering, electrical engineer, known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based Wireless telegrap ...

), Piazza Don A. Mei, Viale

Pacini Pacini may refer to the following persons: * Piero Pacini da Pescia (flourished 1495-1514), Italian publisher * Giovanni Pacini, a 19th-century Italian composer, known mostly for his operas * Sante Pacini (1735 - circa 1790), Italian painter and eng ...

, Viale Giusti, Piazza Curtatone, Piazzale Ricasoli, Viale Ricasoli, Piazza Risorgimento (''vide'' Risorgimento), and Viale Giosuè Carducci. The town includes a number of public squares, most notably the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, site of ancient Roman amphitheater; but also Piazzale Verdi; Piazza Napoleone; and Piazza San Michele. Palazzo mansi, cortile 02

Statua di Giacomo Puccini - Lucca - panoramio

Palaces, villas, houses, offices, and museums

Ducal Palace Several palaces are named Ducal Palace (Italian: ''Palazzo Ducale'' ) because it was the seat or residence of a duke. Notable palaces with the name include: France *Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon *Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy *Pa ...

: built on the site of Castruccio Castracani's fortress. Construction began by Ammannati in 1577–1582, and continued by Juvarra in the eighteenth century * Pfanner Palace *

Villa Garzoni Villa Garzoni may refer to: * Villa Garzoni (Collodi) Villa Garzoni at Collodi is a villa just over the border of the province of Lucca, (Tuscany, Italy). The garden was built shortly before 1652 by the Garzoni family, relating to the site of t ...

, noted for its water gardens * Casa di Puccini: House of the opera composer, at the nearby Torre del Lago, where the composer summered. A Puccini opera festival takes place every July–August * Torre delle Ore: ("The Clock Tower") * Guinigi Tower and House: Panoramic view from tower-top balcony with oak trees *

National Museum of Villa Guinigi The Museo Nazionale di Villa Guinigi is the main art museum hosting the pre-modern art collections owned by the city of Lucca, Italy. The museum is located in a refurbished villa on Via della Quarquonia, completed in 1418 for Paolo Guinigi, rule ...

* National Museum of Palazzo Mansi *

Orto Botanico Comunale di Lucca The Orto Botanico Comunale di Lucca is a botanical garden located at Via del Giardino Botanico, 14, Lucca, Italy, and operated by the city. It is open daily during the warmer months, and weekday mornings off-season. An admission fee is charged. ...

: botanical garden dating from 1820 *Academy of Sciences (1584) * Teatro del Giglio: nineteenth-century opera house

Churches

There are many medieval, a few as old as the eighth century, basilica-form churches with richly arcaded façades and campaniles * Duomo di San Martino: St Martin's Cathedral * San Michele in Foro: Romanesque church * San Giusto: Romanesque church * Basilica di San Frediano * SanSan Romano, Luccat'Alessandro an example of medieval classicism * Santa Giulia: Lombard church rebuilt in thirteenth century * 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 massive

ambo Ambo may refer to: Places * Ambo, Kiribati * Ambo Province, Huanuco Region, Peru ** Ambo District ** Ambo, Peru, capital of Ambo District * Ambo Town, a town in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia ** Ambo, Ethiopia, a capital of West Shewa Zone ...

(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 Lorenzo di Moriano, a 12th century Romanesque style parish church * 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

Museums

* Museo della Cattedrale *

Education

Since 2005, Lucca hosts IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, a selective graduate and doctoral school which is part of the Italian superior graduate school system. Its main educational facilities are located at the San Francesco Convent Complex and Campus, and the former Renaissance-style Roman Catholic church of San Ponziano now hosts the university library.

Sports

Association Football arrived in Lucca in 1905 and has its roots in Brazil, thanks to a number of fans that helped found the club who had learned the game in Brazil. The Lucchese 1905, or simply Lucchese, play in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football, having last been in top tier Serie A in 1952. The club plays their home games at Stadio Porta Elisa, just outside the northeast wall of the city.

Transportation

Buses

Consorzio Lucchese Autotrasporti Pubblici, also known as CLAP, was established in 1969, as the main company in the Province of Lucca to manage the local public transport. In 2005, following the decision of the Region to assign the local public transport to a single operator for each of the 14 lots constituted, CLAP merged with the companies Lazzi and C.LU.B. Scpa to form the consortium VaiBus which was absorbed by the newly formed company CTT Nord in 2012. VaiBus was part of ONE Scarl the consortium holder of the two-year (2018-2019) contract for the management of the TPL throughout the Region. Since 1 November 2021 the public local transport is managed by

Autolinee Toscane Autolinee Toscane S.p.A. (also known as AT) is a private Italian company, wholly owned by RATP Dev, active in the local public transport sector. It manages several urban and suburban bus lines in Tuscany for a total of 1.7 million kilometres trav ...

Notable people

* St.

Anselm of Lucca Anselm of Lucca ( la, Anselmus; it, Anselmo; 1036 – 18 March 1086), born Anselm of Baggio ('), was a medieval bishop of Lucca in Italy and a prominent figure in the Investiture Controversy amid the fighting in central Italy between Matil ...

, (1036–1086), bishop of Lucca * Giovanni Arnolfini, merchant and arts patron * Pompeo Batoni, painter * Giovanni Antonio Bianchi (1686–1768), Italian Friar Minor, theologian, and minor Tuscan poet * Simone Bianchi, comics artist * Luigi Boccherini, musician and composer * Elisa Bonaparte, ruler of Lucca * Anthony Bonvisi, merchant and banker in London *

Giulio Carmassi Giuliano Giulio Giacomo Carmassi (born February 21, 1981 in Lucca, Italy) is an Italian multi-instrumentalist. Music career Carmassi has performed many different jobs in music: multi-instrumentalist, singer, film composer, arranger, producer, an ...

, composer * Castruccio Castracani, ruler of Lucca (1316–1328) *

, composer *

Gusmano Cesaretti Gusmano Cesaretti (born July 24, 1944) is a self-taught Italian photographer and artist born in Porcari (Lucca), Italy to Bruno Cesaretti and Delfa Cesaretti. He has also worked in films as a producer and visual consultant. He is one of the first p ...

, photographer and artist * Mario Cipollini, cyclist *

Alfredo Ciucci Alfredo Ciucci (born 17 October 1920) was an Italian professional football player. He played one game in the Serie A in the 1946/47 season for A.S. Roma ' (''Rome Sport Association''), commonly referred to as Roma (), is a professional ...

, football player * Matteo Civitali, sculptor *

Ivan Della Mea Ivan Della Mea (born Luigi Della Mea, 16 October 1940 – 14 June 2009) was an Italian novelist, journalist, singer-songwriter and political activist. His family name was "Della Mea" Biography Born in Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''com ...

, singer-songwriter * Theodoric Borgognoni, medieval surgeon *

Marco Antonio Franciotti Marco Antonio Franciotti (1592 – 8 February 1666) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Bishop of Lucca. Early life Franciotti was born in 1592 in Lucca, Tuscany, the son of Curzio Franciotti. He was educated at the University of Bologna ...

, bishop of Lucca * Ernesto Filippi, football referee * Saint Frediano * St.

Gemma Galgani Maria Gemma Umberta Galgani (12 March 1878 – 11 April 1903), also known as Saint Gemma of Lucca, was an Italian mystic, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church since 1940. She has been called the "Daughter of the Passion" because of her ...

, mystic and saint *

, musician and composer * Giovanni Batista Giusti, harpsichord maker *

, composer * Leo I,

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

* Pope Lucius III * Vincenzo Lunardi, pioneer aeronaut *

Ludovico Marracci Ludovico Marracci (6 October 1612 – 5 February 1700), also known by Luigi Marracci, was an Italian Oriental scholar and professor of Arabic in the College of Wisdom at Rome. He is chiefly known as the publisher and editor of Quran of Muhammad ...

, priest and first translator of the Qur'an to Latin * Felice Matteucci, engineer * Mazzino Montinari, germanicist and Nietzsche scholar *

Italo Meschi Italo Meschi (; 9 December 1887 – 15 October 1957) was a harp guitarist from Lucca, Italy. Forty years after his death his long-forgotten trove of writings, compositions, and mementos began to resurface thanks to his closest relatives. Thei ...

, harp guitarist, poet, anarchist-pacifist *

Julian Niccolini Julian Niccolini is an Italian-American restaurateur who co-owned the now defunct Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City. Early life Niccolini was born in Lucca, Italy. One of his early jobs was at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco. Niccolini moved ...

, restaurateur * Leo Nomellini, athlete * Mario Pannunzio, journalist and politician * Marcello Pera, politician and philosopher * Giacomo Puccini, composer * Eros Riccio, chess player * Marco Rossi, footballer * Daniele Rugani, footballer * Renato Salvatori, actor * Carlo Sforza, diplomat and politician * Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre, founded the Torani syrup company in San Francisco using Luccan recipes from their hometown * Nicola Fanucchi, actor and director * Rolando Ugolini, athlete * Giuseppe Ungaretti, poet * Antonio Vallisneri, scientist and physician *

Alfredo Volpi Alfredo Volpi (April 14, 1896 – May 28, 1988), was a prominent painter of the artistic and cultural Brazilian modernist movement. He was born in Lucca, Italy but, less than two years later, he was brought by his parents to São Paulo, Brazil ...

, painter * Hugh of Lucca, medieval surgeon * Saint Zita

Sister cities

Lucca is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * Abingdon, England, United Kingdom *

Colmar Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is ...

, France * Gorinchem, The Netherlands * Hämeenlinna, Finland * Schongau, Germany * Sint-Niklaas, Belgium * South San Francisco, United States

Footnotes

Bibliography

External links

Municipality website

National Museum of Villa Guinigi

Museum of Villa Mansi

Lu.C.C.A.
Museum of the Archaeology of the Lucca Cathedral {{Authority control Cities and towns in Tuscany Fortified settlements Roman sites of Tuscany Capitals of former nations Populated places established in the 3rd century BC