Lucca, Historical city in Tuscany, Italy
Lucca is a town in the Province of Lucca in Tuscany, Italy, known for its complete set of 16th-century defensive walls. The centre contains narrow cobblestone streets, old squares, and Renaissance buildings enclosed by this defensive structure.
The town was founded by the Etruscans and became a Roman colony in 89 BC. It remained an independent republic for five centuries until the 19th century.
The composer Giacomo Puccini was born here, and today the medieval streets host one of Europe's largest comic and gaming conventions each year. This event transforms the town into a celebration of popular culture, with costumes and stalls filling the old squares.
Visitors can walk or cycle along the wide tree-lined pathways on top of the town walls, which extend for 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) around the old centre. These paths offer a continuous circuit with views over the old town and surrounding countryside.
The oval-shaped Piazza dell'Anfiteatro preserves the exact outline of an ancient Roman amphitheatre, with buildings constructed along its original perimeter. Today visitors sit in cafes that stand precisely where spectators once surrounded the arena.
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