Walls, towers and gates Lucca

Porta Elisa was built at the beginning of the 19th century. It is a neoclassical structure with Doric elements, dedicated to Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister. At the time it worked like a small 'Arc de Triomphe' and made it possible to access the Via Elisa. It is currently in good condition and can be noted along the Piazzale Don Aldo Mei.

The Aqueduct, by Lorenzo Nottolini, dates back to the first part of the nineteenth century, commissioned by the Duchess of Lucca. Its length extends over almost 3.2 km, characterized by over 400 arches. It had a very important function for the area at the time, but after a few years it lost six of its pillars due to the construction of the A11 motorway. Today, the aqueduct has only a monumental function, and it is freely open to visitors.

The Buluardo San Martino dates back at the same time as the urban walls of Lucca, to the 16th century. It is a refuge fortification that tells a lot about the history of Lucca. Today it is in a good state of preservation for those who want to visit it.

The Porta Santa Maria was created between 1549 and 1592 and is part of the Renaissance wall circle of Lucca. The door is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and in fact it depicts a marble statue of the Madonna inserted in a niche on the door itself. Originally there was only one opening and later the two side openings were added. In addition, you can see the statues each depicting a panther, the symbol of the city of Lucca.

The Guinigi Tower was built in the second half of the 15th century and belonged to Nicolao Guinigi, a member of a rich family of merchants. The 44.25 meters high building was built of stone and brick and is special since at the top there is a hanging garden wanted by the Guinigi as a symbol of rebirth. It is worth visiting, as in addition to the garden, we can also admire the splendid panorama of the city and the surrounding mountains.

The Torre delle Ore is located in Lucca, and is the highest in the city. The first watch was built in 1390, but thanks to technological evolution, the watch was modified several times by changing both the dial and the bells. Today it is among the most visited monuments in the city.

The Bulwark is part of the urban walls of Lucca. It is a fortification dating back to the 16th century, now transformed into an elegant café-restaurant.

The bulwark of Santa Croce is the last to be built in the city of Lucca and dates back to 1547. Its structure is such as to facilitate movement within it and make it more effective. Over the years, the bulwark has changed its function. In fact, the Camillo Aita outdoor school has been located on the internal platform since the early twentieth century, whose pavilion classrooms are also distributed along the adjacent embankment towards S. Giustina.

The Baluardo San Donato is part of the system of the Walls of Lucca and dates back to the 16th century. It is an ancient fortification that, together with the other bulwarks of the area, tells a lot about the history of Lucca. The state of conservation is quite good. In addition, the property is easy to visit.

The Ancient Gate of San Donato was built at the end of the 16th century. The structure was designed by Vincenzo Civitali and has late Romanesque elements coming from the walls (the two marble lions). It is part of the great wall system of Lucca and, today, houses the tourist information offices in the area.

The Porta Vittorio Emanuele is also called Sant'Anna because of its proximity to the homonymous church. It was opened at the beginning of the 20th century to improve the traffic situation in the aforementioned area. Today it has two passages for cars and two for pedestrians.

The Bulwark of San Paulino is named so precisely in honor of the patron saint of the city. He was the first to evangelize the city and was then buried in the inner core of the walls. The bulwark has a regular shape, with equal faces and angles. Today access takes place from the entrance of the barracks. The International Center for the Study of Urban Circles (CISCU) has been located in the ancient bulwark barracks since 1967.

The Sortita Porta di San Pietro, located in the city of Lucca, is among the oldest gates of the same. The door takes this name as it was enlarged to allow the tramway trains to transit. The exit from the walls takes place precisely thanks to this short gallery that still exists and is, today, also visited by tourists.

This bulwark rises in the area, called in ancient “Piaggia Romana”, which was initially destined for the cemetery of the plagued, the sentenced to death and heretics, and subsequently used for the game of football. This structure was raised for defensive reasons. The interior of the bulwark was rebuilt in 1966 and is accessed from the Botanical Garden. Inside the bulwark you can see the rooms for the storage room of weapons and powder boxes.

The Porta San Gervasio and Protasio or the so-called Porta dell'Annunziata dates back to the 13th century. It was built between 1255 and 1260. The building has special architectural and decorative elements from the Middle Ages. It consists of a gap and there are two towers. The gap is 8 m high. It was restored in 2006-2007.

The Gate of Borgo is a door of the ancient walls that surround the city of Lucca. It faces north and was built between 1198 and 1265. The Gate is located in the direction of Porta Santa Maria, at the end of Via Fillungo. The Gate has a structure in which there are two side towers and a central opening. Both parts of the Gate are now used as private homes. In addition, inside the door there is the fresco depicting the Madonna with Child.

The Porta San Jacopo was built around 1930. Also known as Porta IV Novembre, it is one of the Tuscan tourist attractions in the municipality of Lucca. Inside it we observe a writing, from the fascist era, today still partially readable.

The Bulwark, built in the 16th century, is part of the system of the Walls of Lucca. Over the years it was restored and modified, as inside there was a fortification called the “Bastard”, the traces of which can be seen and observed even today. It is currently in a good state of preservation.

Access is permitted within the city by the walls, passing through six gates, which from north and clockwise are: Porta Santa Maria, Porta San Jacopo, Porta Elisa, Porta San Pietro Porta Porta Sant'Anna and San Donato.