Medieval LuccaFlourishing Stillby Rick Millikan Disembarking Carnival Freedom at Livorno many shipmates take excursions to renaissance Florence. Instead, my wife Chris and I travel by train to Lucca, once capital of a thriving medieval republic. In less than an hour we arrive, step outside the station and sight her massive 15-century red brick wall.
A walkway crosses a wide lawn into a tunnel, where a winding stairway leads us to the top. Here walkers, joggers and cyclists travel its broad four-kilometer promenade encircling Lucca. Descending onto a narrow street chirping birds flit from tree to tree as we stroll toward Duomo di San Martino. “Duomo” means home, yet Lucca’s largest cathedral could be a stony white mansion. Dedicated to San Martino, a simple exterior frieze depicts this former Roman soldier giving half his cape to a Hungarian beggar. That he night dreamed this hungry man was Jesus. Quitting the army, Martino became an Italian monk, bishop of Tours and ultimately was sainted. Inside, there’s a trove of religious art treasures. Nearby stands 8th century San Giovanni, an extraordinary museum. Removing its floor, archeologists excavated a jumble of history: an early 700 AD Lombard church sits upon a Roman 4th century church, which replaced a temple atop some Roman houses.  In Lucca’s largest square a heroic statue of the Lord of Lucca stands before his fortified Palazzo Ducale he built in 1338. Napoleon’s sister Elisa ruled from this same palace. Eliminating four prominent public buildings, unpopular Elisa created this regal Piazza Napoleone. Napoleon’s Austrian widow Maria Luisa replaced her as new Duchess promoting cultural and public works, such as planting broad-leafed plane trees along the wall’s promenade; the citizens honored her with a nearby statue!
 As an important 16th-century banking and manufacturing center, Lucca contains many luxurious homes. Palazzo Mansi allows us to imagine lifestyles of the rich and famous. Climbing its ornate stairway, we enter a suite of rooms where vibrant frescoes cover walls and ceilings. Tapestries and paintings fill corridors and  salons. A portrait of a grumpy Elisa conveys her Ducale worries. The Bride and Groom’s Chamber sports a golden-canopied bed. The Mansi both lived and slept in opulence.
 A few blocks away we encounter Lucca’s central piazza and a 12th century Duomo with five tiers of creamy ornate colonnades. Topping the white facade rages an eternal battle between a fierce bronze dragon and Archangel Michael. Named San Michele in Foro, “in foro” recalls how this church was built inside an ancient Roman forum.
Ambling along Roman Lucca’s important crossroads, we pass still bustling centuries-old shops. Above us the town’s tower clock still provides accurate time using its original mechanism of wooden cogs. In the distance we see the city’s remaining watchtower, a defensive remnant of the Guinigis who ruled Lucca for decades during the 15th-century. We spot the large oak tree growing from its lofty platform and note other travelers who climbed Torre Guinigi’s 230 steps to enjoy sweeping panoramas. Veering northeast, we enter Piazza Anfiteatro. Pastel buildings surround what was a Roman amphitheatre during the second century AD.  Exiting we amble beside a canal back toward the train station passing Villa Botini, a large renaissance villa and later Lucca’s botanical gardens created in 1820. The Royal University created this collection of local agricultural species to help farmers and enhance the floral beauty of this “bellissima” town.
Atop the wall we once more observe people of all ages circling this 500 year-old bulwark and reflect on how this rampart promotes this unique community’s serenity and health. Aboard the train we sigh, “Ciao Lucca Bella!” carrying home wondrous memories of this proud city. When You Go:Carnival Cruise Ship Freedom provides perfect accommodations and comfortable transport to Livorno as well as other port stops for exploring the Mediterranean’s extraordinary cities. To review its complete itinerary, contact: www.carnival.com | 