History

Tuscany was originally inhabited by tribes of Ligurians and by the Etruscans. When the Romans arrived they allied themselves with the Etruscans against the Ligurians who fled into the Apuane mountains. The origins of Lucca date back to 180 B.C. Before founding a city the Romans would hold sacrificial ceremonies which began with the digging of the perimeter of the city. After which, three animals (a bull, a sheep and a pig) were sacrificed to the gods Jupiter, Minerva, and Giunone whose temple was erected inside the city walls. Within and beyond the boundary of the city the land was divided up into "centurie". By means of the "centurie" the Romans would plot the circuit of the walls after which public buildings were erected and streets were traced along orthogonal axes. The main streets of the city were called the "cardo maximo" which ran in a north-southerly direction corresponding to the modern Via Fillungo, and the "decumano maximo" corresponding to the modern Via S. Croce, which ran in a east-westerly direction.

The nucleus of the city was the forum which was placed at the junction of these two main roads and which corresponds to the present-day Piazza S. Michele, still referred to as S. Michele in Foro (St. Michael in Forum). The circuit of the walls was irregular owing to frequent changes in the course of the river Auserculus, (the Auserculus or Ozieri was in ancient times the main river, while the present-day Serchio was merely a minor branch).

The first span of the walls built in the second century B.C. was of a rectangular shape approximately 8 to 9 metres high, built "ad opus quadratus" with blocks of travertino rock which came from local quarries. The area of the city was 39 hectares and the population was approximately 10,000; the walls were roughly 2,500 metres long, corresponding to the modern Via Mordini and Via degli Angeli (Sommella) in the north; Via Galli Tassi, Via S. Domenico, Via Cittadella up to Corso Garibaldi in the west; Corso Garibaldi in the south; and in the east, Via dell’Angelo Custode and Via della Rosa.

The city had four gates along the circuit of the walls: the "decumanus" linking the east gate of S. Gervasio and the west gate of S. Donato; and The "cardo", linking the north gate of S. Frediano and the south gate of S. Pietro. In the second century A.D. the amphitheatre was erected outside the walls while the theatre was built inside the town walls. The geographical position of the city is noteworthy. Situated at the base of the Tuscan Appennines in the midst of a well-watered, fertile plain, close to the Mediterranean Sea. Lucca has always been an important thoroughfare owing to its location. The Via Clodia was built around 155 B.C. while the Via Emilia was built in 109 B.C.. The Via Cassia, linking Rome and Florence, went on to Pistoia from which one could then proceed to Bologna or turn towards Lucca. During the Municipium the most important communication routes were: Lucca-Pisa and Lucca-Luni (Camaiore, Pietrasanta), the latter, either joined Via Emilia Scaura heading towards Luni or, more likely, followed the present-day Via Sarzanese and turned left just after the S. Pietro bridge, which met up with the Aurelia and took you to Massaciuccoli. Here in Massaciuccoli, are numerous Roman villas and the remains of the Roman thermal baths.

The remains of Roman thermal baths have been found in the heart of Lucca, in the subterranean section of the Basilica of S. Giovanni and S. Reparata.