Lucca, A Tale of Two Faces

Lucca is a delightful city. Well, almost two cities really. Inside the ancient walled portion of Lucca is a captivating environment of times gone by. Outside the walled portion of Lucca is life similar to that we know at home. Let me tell you more.

Inside the walls:

Lucca has many things for tourists to do in a day or a few days. The highlight activity is to rent a bike or surrey for an hour and ride around the top of the city walls. Additionally, there are a variety of museums, some with art and others with the history of this region which goes back at least 8 centuries BC with the Etruscans. In Lucca and other Tuscan towns, you can even visit the torture museum if you are into the macabre. In addition to the wall and museums, Lucca has towers to climb for that birds-eye view. The most famous of Lucca’s towers is the Guinigi because it has beautiful trees growing top.

Tourists enjoy visiting the many churches as Lucca is said to have 100 of them. We found a variety of designs across the many churches from simple to ostentatious. The elaborate craftsmanship of churches was a wow factor for us, but the churches with simple designs showed us the life of the people. The church bells can often be heard inside the city walls as they announce the time of day or time for worship.

We watched several tour groups come through town, especially in the ancient amphitheater. They diligently took photos to show they visited, then they left minutes later. Visitors come and go quickly in Lucca and the locals just put their heads down and push on with their daily needs. These locals live inside the walls, but if you blink you will miss the realities of their life.

Outside the walls:

Lucca is a small city of just under 90,000 people who go to school, work, church, and soccer games. This portion of town has a different feeling. Few tourists bother themselves with this part of town. It’s like home, more or less, and tourists are on a fast vacation. Generally, tourists don’t need groceries, electronics, or garden stores. They won’t spend time in soccer stadiums, schools, or parks. Lucca has a splendid park along the river Serchio. The city is working on expanding amenities there too.

Outside the walls is where most Lucchese live. The cars, buses, and bikes transport them around as they stop in their favorite locations for morning espresso or afternoon gelato.

All In All

The Lucchese people of Lucca appear to be proud and community driven. Like so many other places in the world, the people are kind and helpful. They are service-minded if you show respect. The two faces of the IN-side and OUT-side wall work in tandem and sometimes competition. But above all, the concept of family is everywhere in this entire city.