The Walls of Lucca ... all what you must know...

After having described the history of many castles and wonderful places, now it's time to introduce the main symbol of our town: the Walls of Lucca, a magnificent example of architecture with a perimeter of 4 km, 12 curtains and 11 bastions with cannons and walkable basements. Let's start from the beginning: in the 16^th century, Lucca was a rich independent republic threatened by expansionism of Florence and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and in the past, its main defense was only diplomacy; cause of many dangers, the government decided to build one of the greatest works of military engineering of the time! It took nearly a century and a half to built the walls with continuous improvements and innovations, from the first works of 1513 until the end in 1648, the best Italian and Flemish engineers were called to take care of every detail of this incredible monument, and nothing was left to case. Around the walls there are nice meadows where people like to walk, run, ride bike and play with dogs but it's just a part of the ancient "cut", a ring of at least 800mt of grass, called so beacause all the trees, houses, churches and all builindgs were cut down to gain more visibility. If the enemy dared to cross this open space suffering cannon shots, then would have to jump over the ditch before they can climb the walls! Engineers thought also how to protect the town from gunfire: infact the walls are built using a special technique, called "terrarium", which was specifically used to resist artillery: two brick walls enclose a huge mass of dirt and plant materials. All the trees that now shade the path over the walls, in the past were used to impose the mass of dirt with their roots.
We are planning a special tour that will guide you to discover all the secrets of the walls, riding our bikes through stages that will take you not only upon the walls but also in the stands and inside the walls of the underground. Join an amazing journey that will give you an unforgettable experience! Now, waiting for the tour, just wait for the next article!