Sourroundings of Lucca

LUCCA
Lucca is one of Italy’s major heritage cities, famed even beyond the national confines, first and foremost for the 4,450 or so metres of well-preserved 15th- to 17th-century city walls that encircle the city’s ancient centre. Indeed, it is one of just four Italian provincial capitals whose city walls are still intact, the others being Ferrara, Grosseto and Bergamo. The walls were converted into a pleasant esplanade back in the second half of the 19th century and are still among the best preserved in Europe, never having been used for defensive purposes in the past.

FIRENZE
The city came under domination by various forces over the centuries: Byzantine, Ostrogoth, Longobard, Frankish and others. Florence continued to grow and became an independent city-state in the early 12th century. As its population grew, it had to find an answer to the problem of overcrowding, which it solved by building new city walls on the other side of the Arno so as to extend the city’s urban area. It was forced to appoint a governor from outside during the civil war between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines to ensure impartiality. The Ghibellines, too, succeeded in holding sway over Florence for a short time, but their “luck” soon ran out, as the Guelphs resumed command over the city after the death of Emperor Frederick (who backed the Ghibellines). Subsequent clashes between Guelphs and Ghibellines saw the rise of the Compagnia delle Arti, trade associations that later gave rise to the “first republic of the people.” The prominent figures born and bred in the city of art include Dante, Boccaccio, Donatello, Masaccio, Lorenzo the Magnificent, Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli and Michelangelo.

VERSILIA
Versilia is a part of north-western Tuscany in the province of Lucca and takes its name from the River Versilia.
It is a famous seaside area, its largest town being Viareggio, and extends along the coastal strip that starts in the south at Torre del Lago Puccini and stretches northwards to the edge of Marina di Massa, taking in Viareggio, Lido di Camaiore, Marina di Pietrasanta’s four districts (Le Focette, Motrone, Tonfano and Fiumetto) and Forte dei Marmi and forming the province of Lucca’s coastline.

PISA
There is more than one school of thought regarding the beginnings of Pisa. Some authorities argue that it bears the mark of Liguria, whereas others claim that its origins were Greek. The one sure thing is that it was settled by the Etruscans, and hence by the Romans as well. A seafaring city from the outset, it was once one of Italy’s major naval centres and one of the historic maritime republics. The city reached its peak of economic prosperity in the Middle Ages, and the mediaeval urban layout of the city centre has survived to this day, as have many religious buildings.

ABETONE
Abetone (1,388m above sea level) owes its name to a gigantic fir tree (which is what abetone means in Italian), so big that not even six people could encircle it with their arms, which was felled in 18th century to make way for the Modena road.