Inside the Bastions of the Walls of Lucca
The Walls of Lucca are a unique reality in regard to European city planning and architecture.
Built during the Renaissance, today, they are a leading example of Italian fortification.
They are a large public park which surrounds and delimits the historical center, consisting of 96 hectares of green space, and is for pedestrian use only. The elevated walkway, flanked by different varieties of trees, is 4.2 km long. The locals and visitors enjoy strolling, jogging, or riding their bikes on the walls.
The suggested itinerary consists of walking on the walls and also visiting their interior to discover the galleries and rooms within, recently restored by the City of Lucca and the Foundation of the Cassa di Risparmio of Lucca. The restoration has given back one of the most treasured monuments to the inhabitants of Lucca and has made moving from the inside of the city to the outside, simple and very suggestive.
The guided tour allows visitors to learn about the evolution of military engineering in Italy from the 13th to the 17th centuries. Visiting the interior of the bastions is like entering the ‘bowels’ of the Walls of Lucca which, incidentally, were never used for defensive purposes. The immense brick vaults of the galleries, built for the purpose of hiding the heavy bronze cannons, are spectacular and breathtaking.
INFORMATION
- Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Meeting point: Piazzale Verdi, Tourist Information Office
