Lucca: pilgrims and pilgrimages in the Middle Ages

private guided tour in Lucca

Discover Lucca on a private guided tour. Lucca has always been located on a crossroad between the North and the South, between the sea and the mountains, a melting-pot of people and cultures, a market place for precious fabrics.

During the Middle Ages Lucca became an important and wealthy city thanks to the Via Francigena, a medieval route used by the pilgrims directed towards Rome. The fame of Lucca depended on the presence in the Cathedral of a precious relic, the so-called Volto Santo. It was believed that this particular crucifix was sculpted by Nicodemus right after the deposition of Jesus’ body from the Cross. The relic was considered miraculous and it was venerated by the numerous believers. The fame of the Volto Santo reached the four corners of the European continent.

In this period Lucca grew and became an important centre for trade and commerce. High towers started to dominate the urban landscape and multiple religious foundation made of Lucca “the city of hundred churches”.

During our private guided tour in Lucca we will discover the most important and iconic monuments of the city and we will learn more about the medieval practice of pilgrimage. We will walk at the top of the city walls of Lucca, we will visit the Cathedral, San Michele in Foro church and the magnificent San Frediano Basilica. We will discover the famous square of the Amphitheatre and, if you wish, we will try some local specialities, sweet bread Buccellato, spelt soup or meet dumplings called tordelli.

Duration: 4 hours

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