Lucca and its wall

This elegant and distinguished city of art is enclosed by bastions of an intact (intact also because fortunately never used for defensive purposes) circular city wall from the 15-17th century, 4,450 meters long., transformed in the second half of the 19th century into a pleasant pedestrian walkway from which fields gradually descend outwards.
On a previous Ligurian settlement the Roman city was developed beginning in 180 B.C.; in the 6th century Lucca became the capital of the Lombard dukedom of Tuscia, then in the 12th century it became a free commune, then an independent republic and remained as such, except for brief periods, until 1799. After the Napoleonic events in 1847 it became part of the grand dukedom of Tuscany. In 1860 it was annexed to the kingdom of Sardinia.
The historic city center is pretty much intact in its original appearance and rich in beautiful architecture from various eras, medieval churches, distinguished Renaissance "palazzi", towers and bell towers, and even splendid and attractive urban areas. Of these the most famous is probably that of Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, bordered by houses placed along the structure of the original Roman buildings by now practically destroyed; this development began in 1830 on the general design of architect, Nottolini. But also Via Filungo, which has all of its original medieval characteristics, and it is the street on which there are the most important shops of the city, while the Duomo characterizes Piazza San Martino, religious centre of the city, and the church of San Michele dominates the small but very central and important historic piazza of the same name. On Via Guinigi, one of the streets that has the most original medieval characteristics conserved, are the so-called Guinigi houses on both sides, compact nucleus of brick buildings dominated by the characteristic Guinigi Tower. This is one of the few remaining within the city wall of the numberless that were there in the  14th-century and on it rises a large holm-oak tree, making it a unique and unmistakable landmark.