BSL n.6 el 2 - "Lucques ville capitale
de la Republique de Lucques..." di Pierre Mortier fine
XVII secolo (incisione in rame 420x545 mm) |
Lucca is an ancient city dating back to
Etruscan times. It was the centre of one of the first Roman
settlements in the 2nd century B.C. during which time the first
walls were built. Later it was capital of Tuscany with a Longobard
"curtiis regia" and one of the most famous Mints in
Italy. The Mansi family had a monopoly of the Mint, thanks to
concessions granted by Germanic emperors. Later Lucca was capital
of Tuscany again, before Florence, and the 13th century saw
the birth of the art of silk and the silk trade which extended
all over Europe in the centuries following. New walls, still
in a fine state of preservation, were built in the 16th century,
while the little city-state gave itself a republican constitution
thereby maintaining its independence right up to the Unification
of Italy.
Reserve, independence and a capacity for hard work - you will
still find these qualities when you visit Lucca and the surrounding
area where splendid Villas were built in the 16th and 17th centuries |
