Le Mura di Lucca

Welcome to Lucca, a city defined by its refusal to be conquered. As you stand before these massive ramparts, you are looking at one of the most significant feats of military engineering in Europe. …

We begin our journey at Porta San Pietro, the most majestic of the city’s original three gates. Constructed between fifteen sixty-five and fifteen sixty-six, this gateway served as the primary entrance for travelers arriving from…

As we walk east from the gate, we arrive at the Baluardo San Colombano. This is one of the eleven bastions that punctuate the walls, designed to provide flanking fire against any enemy attempting to scale the curtain walls. …

As we continue along the top of the wall, the path widens into a magnificent boulevard lined with century-old plane and oak trees. We owe this beautiful transformation from a military installation to a public promenade to Maria…

Reaching the northern section of the walls, we encounter the Baluardo San Martino. This bastion is a prime example of the incredible labor required to build this circuit. …

As we move toward the northwestern corner, we pass Porta Santa Maria and the newer access points like Porta San Jacopo. Originally, Lucca had only three gates to minimize weak points in the defense, but as the threat of invasion…

Our circuit brings us toward the Baluardo Santa Croce on the western side. This area was particularly sensitive in the past, as it faced the direction of the coast and potential threats from the sea. …

As we conclude our circumnavigation of the Mura di Lucca, we reflect on what it means for a city to be defined by its borders. For the Lucchese, these walls were once a symbol of exclusion and survival, a physical barrier that…