Gabriele Calabrese is recommended as guide in the 2010 edition of “Florence & Tuscany”; our group of six booked a private tour with him in March, 2010 and had an excellent experience; he is a knowledgeable, passionate resident of Lucca, with a broad and deep grasp of its history and traditions; he took us to see places we would never have seen without him, e.g. tunnels underneath the amphitheatre, the wooden sculpture of the Annunciation in the Church of San Frediano. The tour was supposed to have lasted 2 hours, but Gabriele’s enthusiasm and our questions almost doubled its original length (at no increase in price).

We had follow-up questions for Gabriele which we sent by email and he was quick and gracious with his replies. We are very happy to support Rick’s recommendation of Gabriele as a terrific guide if you’re interested in learning more about Lucca.