Tuscan jewels

monte·argentario

Cruising from Sardinia or Rome towards Viareggio, consider stopping off at delightful Argentario and Elba.

Monte Argentario’s most recent claim to global fame was as the spot where the cruise ship, Costa Concordia, ran aground, part sinking as it charted a fatal course between here and nearby Isola del Giglio. Until this tragic event, it had been a little-known exclusive promontory, where the rich and famous holiday in peace. At the southern end of the Tuscan coast, just two hours’ drive from Rome, it is to affluent Romans what the Hamptons are to Manhattan’s wealthy. With many houses here being second homes and without much external tourism, Monte Argentario, on the Silver Coast, is a particularly good place to stop out of peak season.

At the north of Argentario is Porto Santo Stefano, a 15th century settlement built around an attractive port. Heavily bombed by the Allies in WWII, to prevent occupying forces

from supplying their regional strongholds, much of the town needed to be rebuilt in the 1950s.

The port is a pleasant place to relax and watch the comings and goings, with small fishing boats landing their catch from the lagoon. Nearby are some pleasant bays to explore by tender and while this area’s beaches may not win any awards, you will not find them overcrowded. If it’s a sandy beach and a snorkel you crave, skip across to nearby Giglio, which has them in abundance and is also popular with scuba divers. Places of interest include Forte Filippo, built by the Spanish in early 1558 in the time of King Filippo II. The fort was designed as a lookout, blending into the surrounding countryside at the top of a mound in between what are now two marinas on the eastern side. It became a prison in the 19th century, but is now private housing. For a terrific view over the promontory and surroundings it is worth the climb.

In the immediate area on the mainland, there are a number of places of interest a short drive away.

Giardino dei Tarocchi, by French artist, Niki de Saint Phalle, was inspired by Antonio Gaudí ‘s Parc Güell in Barcelona. This monumental sculpture park, opened in 1998, contains 22 mosaicked monumental figures inspired by tarot symbols. Not a high art experience, but it’s something strikingly different and the park is popular with children, in particular.

Capalbio is a charming medieval town with the fortress of Aldobrandeschi towering above the red roofs of surrounding houses. Fortified by the Sienese in the 15th century, the hilltop town was long a favourite hideout for bandits, standing over a valley of brushland, making for a perfect lookout.

Golf The golf course at Argentario is rated among the 10 best in Italy and while reviews are not universally glowing, the Mezzacane, Dassù and Jorgensen-designed course makes for a challenge with glorious views (+39 0564 888525, Via Acquedotto Leopoldino, 58018 Porto Ercole).

Cycling The area is popular for on- and off-road cycling, with a large 44km MTB race taking place in early spring each year. Dates for 2020 were unknown at time of publication, but check here for details: www.argentariobike.it

Dining Argentario is renowned for its seafood and the promontory boasts many good local restaurants. The region also produces many excellent wines and our local partners, Argentario Yacht Services, will be delighted to arrange your private wine-tasting tour.

There is one Michelin-starred restaurant on Argentario, in the south east of the promontory. Located in the hotel of the same name, IL PELLICANO* (+39 056 48 58 111, Località lo Sbarcatello, Porto Ercole) has a romantic dining room and terrace overlooking the lagoon, with a reputation for superb Italian food. In the north, Michelin also notes L’OSTE DISPENSA (+39 056 48 20 085 Strada Provinciale Giannella 113) and GOURMET CON GUSTO (+39 056 48 12 735, Strada Provinciale Giannella 161).

Tip: Our friends at Argentario Yacht Services are on hand to provide any support you require and make any necessary arrangements on the spot. +39 338 25 20 211, info@argentarioyachtservices.com

elba

Elba is Italy’s third largest island after Sicily and Sardinia and the largest of seven islands in the Tuscan Archipelago, with a population of 30,000.

Its most famous resident in history is Napoleon Bonaparte, who chose to enter exile here when Elba was under French control, in 1814, after being ousted following a heavy defeat at Leipzig. The French former emperor remained here for only ten months before returning to France, though not before entirely transforming its infrastructure and its economic fortunes.

Elba’s history is rich and interesting, with Etruscans, Romans, Saracens, Pisans, Spanish, French and the Medici all having settled in at some point, leaving behind their mark. They were after some of the world’s oldest known iron ore deposits and the island’s strategic location in this part of the Mediterranean. Today’s visitors are generally holiday makers drawn to its countless bays and beaches, beautiful varied landscape and cuisine. As ever, Elba is worth avoiding in August, when locals from Livorno or Florence are joined by thousands of package tourists from all over Europe, but even then, it is usually possible to find a quiet spot by boat, away from the crowds.

If it’s not beach life you are looking for, the island’s varied terrain offers great hiking and cycling, horse riding, or wine-tasting, among other pursuits. Scuba divers have some 30 dive sites to choose from here.

Sightseers have Etruscan fortifications, Pisan and Appian towers, or Medicean and Spanish fortresses to visit, while there are museums

dedicated to Napoleon and to Elba’s mineral production, among others. Also worthwhile is taking the stand-up cable car to the top of Monte Capanne. From Marciana, it is a 20-minute ride in a two-person open gondola, the reward for which is a birds-eye view of the whole island from its highest peak of 1020 metres.

Dining

No Michelin stars on Elba, but there is good food to be had everywhere. The guide does note four outstanding restaurants, two in the north-west, two in the south-east; Right by Marciana marina, CAPO NORD (+39 056 59 96 983, Al Porto, La Fenicia 69) is located on the waterfront, offering mainly a sea food menu, while a short walk from here, SCARABOCI (+39 056 59 96 868, Via XX Settembre 27) is described by the guide as “a gastronomic gem”, which lacks the view, but offers greater choice for carnivores.

Over east, SAPERETA (+39 056 59 50 33, Via Provinciale Ovest 73, Mola) is a rustic agritourism hotel and restaurant, overing no frills, but serving only wine and oil, fruit and vegetables from its own farm and sources organic meats and cheeses in Tuscany.

Also commended is IL CHIASSO (+39 056 59 68 709, Vicolo Nazario Sauro 13, Capoliveri), tucked away in the noisy lanes of atmospheric Capoliveri, for an interesting wine list and wide-ranging menu.

Tip: For assistance or local expertise to make the most out of your stop on Elba, contact our colleagues at Sacomar Yacht Agency (+39 0565 914797, info@sacomar.it)

Tip: For refits up to 50m, Arpeca has been established here since 1992, with state-ofthe-art facilities in its 6,000 sq. m yard (+39 0584 388855, info@arpeca.it)

viareggio

While perhaps not a cruising destination, Viareggio is of course one of the major yachting centres in the Mediterranean, as the home of a number of the largest shipyards and many excellent refit facilities. One way or another, many owners, captains and crew find themselves spending time here or passing through. With the Ligurian coast to the north and the Tuscan countryside on its doorstep, there are worse places to have to spend time. The town itself is a low-level beach resort, though with more desirable coastline to found only a stone’s throw away, the sands of Viareggio don’t have tremendous appeal.

Activities The area around Viareggio is popular for horse riding, cycling and hiking, with the Apuan Alps just inland. One particular hike offers a unique feature popular with crew, especially. Take an organised hike with Associazione Garfagnana Guide (www.garfagnanaguide. it), who will lead you to the top of Monte Farato, where a natural arch has a swing suspended from it. At 750 metres, it provides the most phenomenal views as you ‘fly’ over the valley, taking in the breathtaking alpine scenery.

Carnival Should you find yourself here during February, the town’s annual carnival at weekends is unmissable and is one of the larger events of its kind in Europe. The event is 146 years old and draws some 600,000 people over the month, making it a grand spectacle and putting the whole town in party mode. In 2020, the first parade takes place on Saturday Feb 1st, with the final extravaganza on Mardi Gras on Feb 25th.

Altalena del Monte Forato - credit: Associazione Garfagnana Guide

Tip: For fuel and lube in Viareggio at preferential rates, contact our partners at Termopetroli (+39 0584 383984, bunker@termopetroliversilia.com). For local yacht agent support, contact our friends at at Superyacht Services (+39 0584 46553, info@superyachtservices.it).

Music Opera lovers should head to neighbouring Torre del Lago, just 15 minutes by car, which was the home of Giacomo Puccini, Italy’s second-most famous composer. Born in nearby Lucca, Puccini spent most of his free time here, at his villa on the lake built in 1900, which is now a museum.

As a keen huntsman —of both wildfowl and women— Puccini loved to indulge his passion for duck shooting in the reeds of Massaciuccoli Lake. The area’s fertile soil provides a rich variety of flora and fauna here and it remains a popular destination for bird watching. For hunting today, Tuscany has much to offer guns, with boar, deer and pheasant in abundance in countryside around Florence, San Gimignano and Lucca. The composer and his family are buried in the mausoleum in the nearby chapel, and his works are celebrated in an annual music festival during July and August.

Dining The area is known for its fine food, at all levels. Viareggio itself boasts a two-star and a onestar Michelin-rated restaurant, though there are plenty of excellent local options too. On the fifth floor of Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte —the setting for Crew Network’s annual Captains’ Christmas Dinner— IL PICCOLO PRINCIPE** (+39 0584 4011) has a panoramic roof garden where many a prospective new owner is schmoozed. For seafood, ROMANO* (+39 0584 31382, Via Mazzini 120) has been deeply satisfying diners for more than 50 years.

If you prefer not to stray far from the marina, IL PORTO (+39 0584 384733, Via M. Coppino 118) is an excellent choice. Popular with crew, SANTA MONICA (+39 0584 370600, Via Michele Coppino 409) just around the corner, is a casual restaurant serving quality sea food. However, our secret tip, if you have owners’ taste but deckhand budget, is BAR REMO (+39 0584 384739, Via dei Pescatori 11A). It is a tiny café, serving top-notch cuisine at regular prices, at the hands of a chef with many years’ experience in Michelin-starred kitchens.

Map data ©2019 Google

pisa

Just ten kilometres from the mouth of the River Arno, Pisa can be reached easily by boat. This former maritime force that competed for supremacy with Genoa, Venice and, for a short while, Amalfi, is now known primarily for its famous leaning tower. Pisa’s maritime prowess was curtailed in 1284, when it was defeated by the republic of Genoa in the Battle of Meloria, an inconspicuous speck of rock opposite Livorno.

Pisa is predominantly an aviation access point to surrounding Tuscany and apart from seeing ’Torre Pendente’, the neighbouring basilica and Camposanto in the Piazza dei Miracoli, visitors don’t tend to linger too long. However, being only a short hop from Viareggio, there is enough to Pisa to make a day of it.

The tower itself is surprisingly small in the flesh for such a globallyrecognised landmark; rather like Manneken Pis in Brussels or the mermaid in Copenhagen. The eight-storey marble bell tower was designed to stand straight at 60m, but rather like Pisa’s warfare, things didn’t go to plan when weakness in the subsoil caused it to tilt

even after the completion of only three storeys.

Over time, building continued undeterred, with foundation repairs carried out simultaneously, though by 1990 the tower stood 10° off the vertical. Since then, repairs have pulled it back to narrow the slant to under 4°, which experts suggest will endure for the next three hundred years. Rest of Pisa

Pisa has one of Italy’s top universities, lending the city a youthful vibrancy. After a city-wide clean-up of public spaces recently, there are well-kept Romanesque buildings, churches and piazzas, particularly on the south side of the river.

New or revamped arts and events spaces include Arsenale Mediceo (the Medici shipyard), housed in an 800-year old red brick former armoury, housing a permanent exhibition on the excavation of the Roman ships of Pisa. Palazzo Blu is a renovated 14th century building standing on the banks of the river, with an outré 19th century decor, showing Pisan works from the 14th to the 20th centuries, as well as visiting exhibitions.

Tip: It is possible to climb the 269 steps to the top of the bell tower. It is advisable to book tickets in advance and visits last 35 minutes, while all bags must be checked in next to the ticket desk.

Shopping

The best boutique shopping to be found in Pisa is in Borgo Stretto, also the location of Galileo Galilei’s birthplace. Via Mercanti and Via dei Rigattieri are best for books, paintings and antiquities, and if it is antiques you are after, the Antique and Handicraft Fair on the second weekend each month (except Jul/Aug) is worth a visit, held in the streets around the botanical gardens, north of the river. Events Luminara of San Ranieri (June 16th, annually)

Each year, Pisans celebrate their patron saint, San Ranieri, with a river regatta on June 17th, preceded at dusk each June 16th with a magical celebration. The riverbank, bridges and buildings are lined with 70,000 candles, while 120,000 more are floated down the river, followed by a fireworks display. The leaning tower is also lit up top-to-toe with oil lamps.

This special tradition dates back to 1688. Legend has it that San Ranieri was born to a wealthy family in 1118 and had a vision one night of an eagle carrying light, instructing him to guide people who lived in darkness into the light. It inspired him to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he lived for thirteen years, helping the poor. He returned to Pisa to become a priest and devoted himself to helping the needy. He lies buried in the cathedral.

florence

Florence is likely to leave you wanting more after a one-day whistlestop visit, with so much culture and history to explore. The city is compact and feels like a village, though there is an awful lot to see and one can easily spend a whole week, month or even year here, if it’s culture you are looking for. But if a day is all you have, it is possible to scratch the surface, so here are some suggested highlights.

Galleria dell’Accademia

Tip: A guide is recommended, to get the most out of your visit. If you want to dig deeper for a return visit, or see the best of Florence for the first time, enlist our assistance. Our local tour operator has access to exclusive sites, hardto-get tickets and other exclusive, tailored experiences. Whether it’s your first visit to Florence or your hundredth, they’ll be able to surprise you by revealing some aspects Most famous for its Renaissance of the city you’ve never sculptures by Michelangelo, experienced before.Prisoners (or Slaves), St. Matthew and the magnificent statue of David draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the museum each year. Accademia also has great works by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Pontormo and others, part of the former collection of the powerful Medici family. The most recent section is the Museum of Musical Instruments, displaying one-of-a-kind masterpieces by Stradivari and Bartolomeo Cristofori, inventor of the piano, commissioned by the Medici.

Santa Maria del Fiore, ‘Il Duomo’

Brunelleschi’s duomo is one of the most famous in Italy and beyond. Built between 1431 and 1888, Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral’s brick dome is the largest in the world, sat atop an imposing pink, white and green marble, neo-Gothic, 19th century facade. Inside, among the main attractions are the giant bronze doors, the ‘Gates of Paradise’ to the Baptistery. Like many of the cathedral’s original interior features, these are replicas, with the originals now housed in the Opera del Duomo museum, for conservation purposes. The cathedral opens to the public at 08:30h, though combined access to the dome (463 steps up), bell tower, baptistery, crypt and museum is ticketed separately.

Loggia dei Lanzi (also Loggia della Signoria)

Accessible day or night, this remarkable openair sculpture gallery showcases a range of Renaissance art, housed in a covered, arched piazza adjoining the Uffizi Gallery. Selected by the Medici for their aesthetics, sculptures by the likes of Giambologna and Cellini represent significant historical events.

Works here include the striking bronze of Perseus, which took nine years to cast, holding a sword in one hand and the decapitated head of Medusa in the other. There are bronzes of Jupiter, Mercurius, Minerva and Danaë. Carved from the largest block of marble brought to Florence, ‘The Rape of the Sabine Women’ depicts an incident in Roman mythology, of a mass abduction by Roman men of young women from other cities in the region. There are several other notable marbles worth a closer look, including six marble female figures brought from Trajan’s Foro in Rome to Florence in 1789.

With your back to the sculpture gallery, walk down Via Calimaruz towards Mercato Nuovo.

‘IL Porcellino’ Boar Fountain

A Florentine ritual rather than a cultural stop, should you be passing Mercato Nuovo, you will find here the bronze statue of a boar. Originally installed as a fountain to supply water to market traders, tradition is to rub the porcine snout and place a coin in its mouth, letting it fall into the grate below. Legend has it that it brings good luck or ensures a return to Florence. Whichever it is, the proceeds go to a local children’s charity, so if your folding currency is of a plastic variety, perhaps try that too?

The fountain today is a copy of the 1612 original (by Pietro Tacca, pupil of Giambologna, now in the Bardini Museum), which in turn is a bronze replica of a marble statue in the Uffizi Gallery.

If the swine looks familiar, that may be because copies have sprung up in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the UK and USA.

Uffizi Gallery Plan ahead or order a guide to take you around the Uffizi’s 101 rooms and halls. Housing the world’s finest collection of Renaissance paintings by Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Da Vinci, Caravaggio and others, this is the museum to visit. Highlights include Boticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ and ‘Allegory of Spring’, Lippi’s ‘Madonna and Child’, da Vinci’s ‘Annunciation’ and ‘Holy Family’, and Raphael’s ‘Madonna of the Goldfinch’.

Basilica of Santa Croce Basilica of Santa Croce is not only a beautiful church with frescoes by Giotto, but is also the final resting place of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Another famous son of Florence, Dante Alighieri, was exiled from his birthplace and buried in Ravenna, though he too has a memorial here.

Another work of note here is Pio Fedi’s ‘The Liberty of Poetry’, which inspired Bartholdi’s ‘Statue of Liberty’, when the French artist visited Florence and saw the drawings and maquettes of Fedi’s tribute to playwright Giovanni Battista Niccolini. Notable in the work is the nod to the goddess Diana and Isis, meaning that even New York has been touched by Roman mythology.

Credit: Wikimedia

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio isn’t the world’s prettiest bridge, but it is one of the most recognisable. Built in 1345, it was the only surviving bridge in Florence not to be blown up by German forces retreating in 1944, electing instead to blow up access at one end. A stone bridge has stood at this point across the Arno since 972, evolving over the centuries and rebuilt after the 1966 flood all but demolished it.

The bridge is best known for its jewellers’ shops, which were preceded by butchers, fishmongers and tanners. However, these traders were evicted by Ferdinando I de Medici in the 16th century, when the private ‘Vasari Corridor’ was added above, enabling Medici family members to walk between the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti without mixing with the riffraff. But the smell of offcuts thrown into the river created an unpleasant stench, so the trades were ordered off the bridge, to be replaced by goldsmiths.

Trivia: Shops used to be owned by the local authority and rented out to traders. However, should anyone be unable to pay their rent, soldiers would smash their counter or bench (‘banco’), making them unable to trade. With a broken (‘rotto’) counter, the trader would be declared ‘banco rotto’, or ‘bankrupt’.

During the 15th century the shops were sold to private owners, who added terraces and rooms onto the superstructure, giving it the shambolic appearance of today. Some of Florence’s top jewellers can still be found here, though with the proliferation of tourists, there is plenty of tat among the odd gem.

Sunset

If you don’t have time, try to make time. There is only one way to round off the day in this most romantic of cities and that is to take in the Florence sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo. On a hill south of the Arno between Ponte alle Grazie and Ponte S. Niccolò, this terrace overlooks the entire city, with a view that is unmistakable. There are countless more stunning churches, palazzi and gardens to visit, of course. But if time is tight, the best way to explore Florence for the first, second, third time or more, is to let our local guides guide you.

Shopping

Not only is Florence spoilt for choice with culture; it has big label couture in abundance too, mostly centred around Via Tornabuoni and Via della Vigna Nuova. Independent clothing and jewellery boutiques can be found mostly in Santo Spirito and Santa Croce areas.

Armani, Pucci, Prada and Gucci all hail from here and have been joined in the ensuing years by Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Cesare Pacotti, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Givenchi, Hussein Chalayan, Loro Piana, Malo and Pollini to name a few. Jewellery and watch brands are here too, including Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercer, Breguet, Chopard, and Vacheron Constantin.

Perhaps more interesting are the artisan, bespoke and vintage stores for which Florence has become a top destination.

For artisan fragrance, visit Lorenzo Villoresi House, AquaFlor Firenze and Officina ProfumoFarmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, set in beautifully restored frescoed boutique. For costume jewellery, Angela Caputi Giugiù and Ornella Aprosio make stunning jewellery and accessories locally, following age old traditions. Rosso Firenze specialises in vintage handmade Art Deco-style pieces, but also stocks modern costume jewellery.

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Stefano Bemer is the shoemaker famed for employing Daniel DayLewis as an apprentice cobbler in 1999, before making it as an actor. Specialising in calfskin, Bemer’s successor continues the founder’s quest to create perfect, stunning footwear, handmade by a team of local artisans. Stefano Ricci offers refined tailoring, with handmade garments using the finest materials. Trademark cufflinks are handmade by master goldsmiths using gold, platinum, diamond and a host of semi-precious stones, mother-of-pearl and enamel.

For exquisite hand-bound books and stationery, Il Torchia is part-shop, part-studio, that will custom make unique pieces to order. Atelier Scriptorium Firenze is a tiny atelier-shop, making handcrafted leather-bound albums and books, desk accessories; calligraphy pens, wax seals and other personalised items. Fittingly, leather goods brand Il Bisonte was born in Florence in 1970, on the site of the ex-stables of Palazzo Corsini, and still hand-makes bags and accessories here.

Leather school, Scuola del Cuoio, is located in a 13th-century church, founded by Franciscan monks to teach WWI orphans a trade. Visitors can watch leathersmiths at work, with pieces made of calfskin, deer, ostrich, alligator and python sold on-site. You can book private lessons with a Scuola del Cuoio Master Craftsman and learn how to make your own accessory.

For gloves, the tiny Madova shop, next to its factory, has been selling handmade items since 1919 near Ponte Vecchio. They will take your requirements and measure your hands, to ensure you have the best possible fit.

For porcelain and ceramics, Richard Ginori’s Florence flagship store has stood here since 1802. Acquired by fellow Florentine house, Gucci, in 2014, it is one of the most elegant stores in the city.

Antiques and collect-

ibles dealers tend to be concentrated around Maggio, Via de’ Fossi and near Piazza Beccaria. For vintage furnishings and home accessories, Bottega di Corte is now a popular supplier to local interior designers, from old prints and maps to gilded frames, candelabras, clocks, and antique tea sets, there are many delightful things to peruse.

For vintage clothing and accessories, Marie Antoinette in Piazetta dei Del Bene stocks some rare finds, as well as unusual new pieces. Boutique Nadine has two branches selling vintage furniture and accessories like fine Italian silks and leather goods.

Dining

For three-star Michelin excellence, ENOTECA PINCHIORRI*** (+39 055 24 27 77, Via Ghibellina, 87) has for decades created haute cuisine at the highest level in Italy, featuring the best of Tuscan, Italian and international cuisine, along with a world class wine list.

lucca

Just half an hour’s drive from Viareggio, Lucca is perfect for a day trip if you have time on your hands, unless you plan to visit its one hundred churches, of course.

There is something about Lucca that’s different from all of Tuscany, with a heart that beats its to its own drum. Fiercely independent until 1847, when it finally ceded control to the Duchy of Tuscany, the city had more than 2,000 years of rich history as an autonomous city state, by virtue of its ability to reinvent itself repeatedly.

A brief history of Lucca Founded by the Etruscans, Lucca became a Roman colony in 180 BC, growing into a prosperous city central to the Empire, with a ‘cardo’ (a north-south Roman road) and a ‘decumanus’ (an east-west road) running through it. A forum and an amphitheatre followed, as testament of Lucca’s importance to Rome. Lying in a wide valley between the Pizzorne and Pisani mountains, the first city walls, for which Lucca is famous, were erected to fortify it. In 55 BC the city gained prominence as the place where Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompey reaffirmed their political alliance, the First Triumvirate.

In 400 AD, before the last emperor fell, Lucca was occupied by the Ostrogoths, then falling under Byzantine and Lombardi control. The Holy Face relic a venerated wooden corpus instrumental in the burial of Christ, so legend had it— had been

brought here in 742 AD, bringing pilgrims on their way to Rome through Lucca. The ‘Via Francigena’ road connected Canterbury in England, across the Channel, through France, and Lucca, to Rome.

By this time, Luccan residents had turned their hands to the production of silk, which saw it retain its stature as it fell part of the Carolingian Empire. As regional warring states fought each other for control during the ensuing centuries, Lucca grew to rival Florence, though by 1343 the Pisans won out.

In 1372, with the help of the Emperor Charles IV of Bohemia, also known as Wenceslaus, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor, the city was released from Pisa’s grip and became an independent republic.

By the second half of the 15th century, Lucca had taken on new importance throughout Europe, having developed into a trading and banking centre. It used its good fortunes to fortify itself further, by building new defences between 1650 and 1800, which endure today.

Inevitably, Napoleon’s troops eventually rolled in, in 1799. The Corsican saw little wrong with Lucca and left it to its own devices, but only until 1805, when it became a constitutional principality, ruled by the Emperor’s sister, Elisa Baciocchi and her husband.

In the year 1815, after the Congress of Vienna, Lucca came under the control of Maria Luisa of Bourbon, whose son, Charles Bourbon, finally signed it over to the Duchy of Tuscany.

Through all the turmoil and changes in jurisdiction, Lucca never lost its trading prowess and had in the meantime developed thriving textile and paper industries.

It continued to prosper through the 20th century, was spared from bombings during WWII, and in addition to established industries, began to benefit from tourism, largely thanks to that ‘road that comes from France’.

Lucca today

The reason for the history lesson is that it is Lucca’s resilience and fortitude over the centuries that make it what it is today. Unable to sprawl beyond its walls, its prosperity has been contained and has strengthened it. Unchanged structurally for centuries, Lucca is a charming warren of lanes and avenues. It is affluent and well-maintained.

The city does indeed have as many as a hundred churches, which possibly is overkill for its 90,000 inhabitants today. If you intend to visit any, do include Chiesa di San Michele in Foro, rebuilt in Piazza San Michele in 1070 on the orders of Pope Alexander II, and the 6th century Basilica of San Frediano, founded by the Bishop of Lucca himself, with some unusual mosaics and beautiful frescoes. For high views of the surrounding city, the Apuan Alps valley and beyond, the Torre delle Ore clock tower and Guinigi Tower are worth a climb.

The city’s walls are now a fabulous way to view Lucca from its perimeter, almost as if they were purpose built. A 4km walking, running, cycling track provide a perspective that is difficult to gain from street level.

Being flat, Lucca is also perfectly accessible, even in the 21st century.

To enjoy Lucca, stroll around, enjoy the atmosphere, see some lovely architecture, browse its countless tiny food shops. Do some boutiquey shopping in the narrow, but fabulous, Via Fillungo. Take a terrace, order some Luccan food, have a glass of local vino and figure out what exactly is so adorable about Lucca. Who knows, with all those houses of worship, perhaps the gods really are smiling on Lucca.

Dining

Lucca is spoilt for choice with many good eateries and cafés, but its one Michelin-starred restaurant is GIGLIO* (+39 0583 49 40 58, Piazza del Giglio 2), situated in an 18th century palazzo and led by three young chefs with a modern take on regional cuisine.