holiday apartment in tuscany - Apartment in Lucca, Italy

LUCCA: CHARMING YET RESERVED
Situated on a fertile plain of the river Serchio near the Tyrrhenian Sea, Lucca is a city in Tuscany, and the capital of the province of Lucca, famed for its medieval wall because it is perhaps the largest Italian city with its medieval city wall still intact though the city has expanded past its original boundaries. Like so many of Tuscany’s cities, Lucca was founded by the Etruscans and became a Roman colony in 180 BC. Today, its palaces and churches draw tourists from across the world, who appreciate the city’s several excellent hotels.

Plundered by Odoacer, also known as Odovacar, the first barbarian King of Italy, Lucca was also an important city and fortress at the time of Narses, a Byzantine general active during the reigns of the emperors Maurice and Phocas in the late sixth and early seventh centuries who besieged it for three months in 553, and under the Lombards it was the seat of a duke who minted his own coins.

Lucca gradually became prosperous through the silk trade that began in the 11th century, and its produce grew to rival the famed silks of Byzantium. During the 10th-11th centuries, Lucca was the capital of the feudal margravate (territory of a lord or military governor of a medieval German border province) of Tuscany, more or less independent but owing token allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperor.

After the death of Matilda of Tuscany, Lucca began to fashion itself as an independent republic, and remained so for 500 years, with many minor feudatories in the region between southern Liguria and northern Tuscany. Dante’s Divine Comedy includes many references to Lucca’s great feudal families, as Dante himself spent some of his exile in Lucca. In 1408, Lucca played host to the convocation intended to end the schism in the papacy.

Occupied by troops of Louis of Bavaria, Lucca was sold to Gherardino Spinola, and then seized by John, king of Bohemia. Pawned to the Rossi of Parma, they ceded the town to Martino della Scala of Verona, after which it was sold to the Florentines, surrendered to the Pisans, liberated by Emperor Charles IV and governed by his vicar, Lucca maintained its independence first as a democracy, and after 1628 as an oligarchy. After 1815 it became a Bourbon-Parma duchy, then part of Tuscany in 1847 and finally part of the Italian State.

The walls around the old town, once they lost their military importance, became a pedestrian promenade and were even used for a number of years in the 20th century for racing cars. The Academy of Sciences is the most famous of Lucca’s several academies and libraries. Then you have the Casa di Puccini, as well as several medieval churches with rich arcaded facades and campaniles.

Every year, Lucca hosts a Summer Festival, a major tourist attraction that draws artistes like Eric Clapton, Placebo, Massive Attack, Roger Waters, Tracy Chapman and Santana live at the Piazza Napoleone.

Lucca also boasts several excellent hotels, bed & breakfasts, and villas, as our list (www.yourwaytotuscany.com/Lucca.htm) will tell you. For all those planning a trip to Lucca, we have accommodation facilities to suit every budget.

HOW TO FIND THE BEST TUSCANY APARTMENT RENTALS

Tuscany is one of the finest regions of Italy, famed for its beautiful cities, gorgeous countryside, magnificent old palaces and churches, hospitable locals, excellent cuisine, and outstanding wines. The region receives hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists every year, and tourism is one of its largest industries. And while you, as a tourist, will find plenty to admire as you travel around the Tuscan countryside, what can you do to ensure that you stay at the best accommodations your money can buy? We have the answer, so come to us and we’ll show you the best Tuscany apartments to rent.

Imagine staying at the Casa Matilde – three wonderful rural apartments close to the village of Mercatale in the famous Chianti area (yes, the one with the world’s best wines). Casa Matilde is actually a rural house that dates back to 1200 AD, divided into three apartments, and furnished with impeccable taste. So on the one hand, while you can enjoy the charm of a medieval cottage, you will also have the benefit of a garden with barbecue, a furnished terrace, and a swimming pool.

Or take the Via di Mezzo Apartments near a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic centre of Florence. Located on the second floor of an 18th century building, the 120 sq. m apartment stands on a pleasant street in the heart of town, 150 yards from the Duomo, and 30 yards from the church of Sant’Ambrogio.

These are merely two of the many Tuscany rental apartments that you can access through us, at rates that are extremely reasonable. Besides, we offer you ultimate value for money because the apartments that we recommend are uniformly high quality, and tailor-made to suit all your requirements. We enable you to make direct contact with the owners of these apartments, and you will be able to check out each and every one of them before you decide on the Tuscany apartment that you wish to rent.

The apartments that we have selected are spread across a wide section of Tuscany, from Florence to Chianti near Florence to Siena to Pisa. So wherever you go, you can be sure that you will find the very best Tuscany rental apartments, yours for the duration of your visit. Not only will you have a pleasant stay in the choicest apartments in Tuscany, but we can also guarantee that once you have stayed in these apartments, you will want to stay nowhere else once you return to this beautiful land! For details, check out our comprehensive list of Tuscany apartments.

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