LUCCA ITALY ✨ Via Fillungo , Piazza Amphitheatre & Sculpture of a labyrinth Walking tour 4K Tuscany

Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in Lucca is one of the most beautiful squares in Tuscany, with its circular shape and colorful buildings looking out onto it, as well as being a must-see destination for those visiting the city of the walls. The splendid, unique square is built on the ruins of the ancient Roman amphitheater, which was built in the 1st or 2nd century AD outside the city walls at that time, near the north gate, so that it was easy for spectators coming from the surrounding area to get to it. The elliptical-shaped building consisted of two overlapping series of 55 arches and could hold up to ten thousand people. The origins of Piazza dell'Anfiteatro Lucca date back to Roman times. Lucca was known as Luca back then, and was an important settlement along the Via Cassia. The amphitheatre was built outside the original Roman city walls, as was customary for such buildings. The amphitheater later fell into disrepair, was robbed of all its columns and, for centuries, was used as a sort of warehouse for building materials. During the Middle Ages it was known as "grotte” (caves). Houses and buildings began to be built on the ruins and, as it was built over the ruins of the amphitheater, it retained its elliptical shape. The present-day square is the result of the work of architect Lorenzo Nottolini. In 1830, he freed the central space of the arena from the buildings that had been constructed there over the centuries and created Via dell'Anfiteatro. Thanks to Nottolini's skillful work, Piazza dell’Anfiteatro is now one of the most unmissable destinations that make Lucca a unique city. The square - which was used as the site of the city market until the mid-twentieth century - can be accessed through four gates and, in the center of the arena, there is a cross marking the perfect intersection between the gates. One of the city's other jewels is without a doubt its cathedral, the Duomo di San Martino, whose Romanesque façade is strikingly off-kilter: one of the arches in its portico is smaller than the others, cramped for room by the pre-existing bell tower. Next to the bell tower there is a column on which you find a sculpture of a labyrinth, a symbol of pilgrimage that pops up in other churches along the Via Francigena. The cathedral is home to the sculpture of the Volto Santo (Holy Countenance) and the beautiful tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia. As you walk through the city streets, you will also come across the façade of the basilica of San Frediano, and then the piazza and sumptuous church of San Michele. The capitals on the façade of this latter church are sculpted into portraits of Italian heroes, including Garibaldi. And on a walk through Lucca, the discoveries do not end there. On top of the Guinigi tower - which is open to the public - you will find a little garden, full of trees, and an astonishing panorama over the whole Lucca plain. Don't miss the long, narrow Via Fillungo, which contains all the city's chicest outlets Enjoy your walk in Lucca! Walking tour in beautiful place . #Florence #schweiz #zürich #firenze #movie #zurich #switzerland #walk #walking #tuscany #city #tour #4k #travel #italien #Suisse #asmr #lucca #swiss #svizzera #florenz #pisa #milano #roma #duomo #shopping #einkaufen #market #markt #royalty #tourism #luxury #place #video #youtube #milan #street #rom #italy