The excitement in our cousin's voice when she talked of Lucca is reason enough to go, and we were in the neighborhood so on day 2 in Tuscany we headed there, and Pisa, too. Lucca is indeed a charming and medieval city that can only be traversed by foot or bicycle.
The walls are an architectural marvel, tight and strong, with a long and storied history of being built in Roman times and rebuilt and modified and improved since then. In their current, eight-hundred-year-old remodel there are keeps at the weakest points, armed with guns, and sally-ports that round into narrow and deep corridors only fit for a small emissary of peacekeepers, should their intentions be otherwise. It is rumored that this city stood alone against Constantine and invested 50% of its city's coffers for hundreds of years to build and maintain the wall. I believe it.
Life thrives in the form of tourists jamming the shops and private residences tucked along narrow streets that take you to beautiful cafes, magnificent churches and piazzas all safely encased in just 0.6 miles.
One euro bought us a hunk of meringue, large enough to span both of our hands, light and flavorful with a carmelized bottom that melted on our tongues. It was here we tried a Gelateria and five small scoops of different flavors for 2 euro while admiring Torre Delle Ore with its Swiss Clock that weighs more than a city bus and has chimed to the quarter hour every day since the 1600s.
San Giovanni Church is one of numerous churches, but was of special interest as an active archaeological site after it was discovered that centuries of churches lay beneath it with intact remains. The church was impressive as well as the archaeological areas which were accessible from a metal staircase on one side of the church through a large opening in the floor. There we saw up close the mosaic floors and walls and ancient headstones from the Roman church dating back to 3BC.
We rested and had a cappuccino in the Piazza Cittadella near Giacomo Puccini's house and bronze statue of this famous musician who was born and raised here. It was a wonderful visit but it was 15:50 already and time to head to Pisa before sunset.
I must admit the side trip to Pisa was not my choice and I would have much preferred lingering in Lucca until dark. I had read about it and the ravishes of World War II that nearly destroyed its former glory, save for the Field of Miracles which houses the duomo, the baptistery, the camposanto (medieval cemetery), and the tower.
The matching buildings are from the 12th century and striped with five hues of grey and white Italian marble. The Baptistry has an ornate exterior depicting New Testament stories and the Camposanto was decorated with some of Tuscany's most important frescoes which were nearly destroyed.
The tower, which remains the butt of jokes and an international symbol for poor architectural planning, began its lean even before completion and by 1284 was just 35 inches off mark. Not so today: through the centuries it has gradually increased to 14.75
feet and in 1990 was closed for aggressive counter-measures, supports and cables and even wedges of soil removed from beneath it. It remains closed for foot traffic. Pisa turned out to be delightful and extremely beautiful and a worthwhile stop to round out a very full and exploratory day.
The excitement in our cousin's voice when she talked of Lucca is reason enough to go, and we were in the neighborhood so on day 2 in Tuscany we headed there, and Pisa, too. Lucca is indeed a charming and medieval city that can only be traversed by foot or bicycle. 
The walls are an architectural marvel, tight and strong, with a long and storied history of being built in Roman times and rebuilt and modified and improved since then. In their current, eight-hundred-year-old remodel there are keeps at the weakest points, armed with guns, and sally-ports that round into narrow and deep corridors only fit for a small emissary of peacekeepers, should their intentions be otherwise. It is rumored that this city stood alone against Constantine and invested 50% of its city's coffers for hundreds of years to build and maintain the wall. I believe it. 
Life thrives in the form of tourists jamming the shops and private residences tucked along narrow streets that take you to beautiful cafes, magnificent churches and piazzas all safely encased in just 0.6 miles.
One euro bought us a hunk of meringue, large enough to span both of our hands, light and flavorful with a carmelized bottom that melted on our tongues. It was here we tried a Gelateria and five small scoops of different flavors for 2 euro while admiring Torre Delle Ore with its Swiss Clock that weighs more than a city bus and has chimed to the quarter hour every day since the 1600s.
San Giovanni Church is one of numerous churches, but was of special interest as an active archaeological site after it was discovered that centuries of churches lay beneath it with intact remains. The church was impressive as well as the archaeological areas which were accessible from a metal staircase on one side of the church through a large opening in the floor. There we saw up close the mosaic floors and walls and ancient headstones from the Roman church dating back to 3BC. 
We rested and had a cappuccino in the Piazza Cittadella near Giacomo Puccini's house and bronze statue of this famous musician who was born and raised here. It was a wonderful visit but it was 15:50 already and time to head to Pisa before sunset. 
I must admit the side trip to Pisa was not my choice and I would have much preferred lingering in Lucca until dark. I had read about it and the ravishes of World War II that nearly destroyed its former glory, save for the Field of Miracles which houses the duomo, the baptistery, the camposanto (medieval cemetery), and the tower. 
The matching buildings are from the 12th century and striped with five hues of grey and white Italian marble. The Baptistry has an ornate exterior depicting New Testament stories and the Camposanto was decorated with some of Tuscany's most important frescoes which were nearly destroyed. 
The tower, which remains the butt of jokes and an international symbol for poor architectural planning, began its lean even before completion and by 1284 was just 35 inches off mark. Not so today: through the centuries it has gradually increased to 14.75 feet and in 1990 was closed for aggressive counter-measures, supports and cables and even wedges of soil removed from beneath it. It remains closed for foot traffic. Pisa turned out to be delightful and extremely beautiful and a worthwhile stop to round out a very full and exploratory day. 
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