The church of San Michele in Foro along with its piazza stand at the center of the old city of Lucca, where the Roman forum used to be.
Construction of the church began in the 11th century, the campanile was completed in the 12th century, and finally the Romanesque facade was added in the 13th century. The facade is actually much taller than the main structure of the church, and different metals had to be used to make sure it would be sturdy enough to resist strong winds.
The same goes for the 4 meters tall statue of Archangel St. Michael, to whom the church is dedicated, which sits on top of the facade.
The church is open to visitors daily free of charge, but unfortunately it was too dark inside to take pictures without a flash. There were, however, a couple of interesting paintings, including one by Filippino Lippi.
The Piazza di San Michele is surrounded by lovely 15th and 16th century palazzi, many of which have now been converted into banks. There were a couple of nice little cafes, and a man was playing the accordion when we were there. Definitely a good place to stop by for coffee in the morning!