Better Luck at Lucca

Another Tuscan gem waiting to be explored was the nearby city of Lucca. Just 15 minutes by train and we were there. This historically rich city, due to the silk trade and the fact that it lies in the heart of Italy's agricultural region, also rivalled Florence and Pisa in ruling the area at times and is one of the only towns to have maintained a complete surrounding defensive wall. We really liked Lucca. Cars and mopeds were not allowed in the historical centre and we could amble at will along the pretty streets, a beautiful sight round every corner without fear of being run over or a feeling of being hurried.

There are a number of towers, several of which can be climbed to get a view over the city. We didn't choose the tallest; instead we climbed Torre Guinigi, home to one of Lucca's leading families in the fifteenth century, mainly because it had a tree growing at the top! It was a fantastic, if windy, view and the sun just about peeped out from behind the clouds that were scudding past in order for us to get a few photos. Unlike Pisa, we did not have the tower to ourselves, but for the price of the ticket we also had the opportunity to watch a promotional video for the town, which was a little "corny" but interesting nonetheless.

From the tower we could just make out the shape of Lucca's Piazza Anfiteatro, an ellipse of medieval buildings built on the foundations of a Roman amphitheatre. It is now home to the seasonal markets and the buildings, each unique and a different height, have become the usual tourist shops and bars, but the atmosphere is pleasant enough and very photogenic. Unfortunately our lunch was not as successful as in Pisa but adequate. It was difficult to find something not aimed at tourists and we tried a set menu with Pizza as a main course, but it turned out to be covered in anchovies, which we both dislike!

Following lunch we went to an exhibition about the machines designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Perhaps the most famous of his machine drawings is that of a "helicopter" and many of his designs had been carefully made into working models! It was a hands-on exhibition and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We virtually had the place to ourselves. Chris particularly liked the simplicity of a mobile bridge he'd designed half a millennium ago and we were astounded to see a newspaper article next to one model of somebody using his parachute design (we assume the article was not written posthumously)! Of course, not all the models worked, the wings being a perfect example, but we appreciated the idea!

Lucca's Duomo was the last place on our itinerary. For once, entrance was free and we were able to view Tintoretto's Last Supper painting that hangs there. The façade of the duomo is rather unusual in that the architects had to fit it around an existing tower and so the archways are asymmetrical. We walked back to the railway station via the town wall, which is now like the city park with benches, horse-chestnut trees, grassy areas and a gravel path all the way round. It was a lovely walk, particularly the autumnal aroma of leaves and seeing the shiny conkers lying freshly burst from their prickly cases.