Medieval Lucca

Many dynasties have accompanied the city of Lucca since the 1st century AD: Ostrogoths, Byzantines, and Lombards. After the Gothic Wars, the bishop of Lucca, San Frediano, assumed administrative responsibilities, promoting major hydraulic works to remove the waters of the Serchio River from the city, also playing a key mediating role at the beginning of the Lombard invasion. Lucca, now an important Lombard duchy, became the seat of one of the longest-serving mints in Europe and a key junction for the Via Francigena.

With the end of the Lombard period and the subsequent rule of Charlemagne and the Franks in Italy, Lucca's importance grew so much that the then marquises of Tuscany, such as Adalbert I, made the city their residence.

During the Carolingian period, Lucca developed its commercial activities and textile production, gaining a central position in Europe for the quality and beauty of its products.

Until the 10th century, the city of Lucca played the role of arbiter in all Italian affairs of the period, controlling the main access route to Rome in an environment of almost total autonomy.

With the removal of the marquis' power from the city and with the granting of ever greater administrative autonomy by the imperial power – a diploma from Henry IV in 1081 – the city of Lucca became the Municipality of Lucca around 1100.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Municipality of Lucca worked to consolidate its territorial structure, seizing surrounding lands from the control of local feudal lords for greater urbanization and control. Urban development took place, with the growth of the villages outside the Roman Walls on the east, west, and north sides, to which a new second circle of walls was added, completed in 1260. Within the Walls, intense construction work continued, with the renovation and enlargement of churches and the vertical growth of palaces and buildings, as evidenced by the dozens of noble towers present in the 13th century. Lucca strengthened its economic strength thanks to the mercantile, exchange, and credit activities generated by the Via Francigena and the presence of one of the most important and advanced silk factories in the West.

In the second half of the 13th century, Lucca became a Guelph city, although internally divided between blacks (representatives of the commercial bourgeoisie) and whites (landed aristocracy).

Around the beginning of the 1300th century, the alliance with Florence led to a significant territorial expansion of both cities, even though Lucca had to face some internal social tensions that later led to the failure of the municipal institutions: in 1308, the ruling black faction reformed the municipal statute, banning the magnate families from the city.

During a period of instability, Lucca was sacked on the night of June 14, 1314 by Uguccione della Faggiola, lord of Pisa, with the help of the Lucchese Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli.

After the fall of Uguccione, expelled in 1316, Castruccio Castracani became the new lord of Lucca, consolidating Ghibelline power and promoting an expansionist policy, especially to the detriment of Guelph Florence. However, with his sudden death in 1328, the Duchy of Lucca collapsed into a period of great decadence.

Lucca managed to reconstitute itself as a Republic only in 1372, thanks also to the communities of Lucchese merchants present throughout Europe who contributed to the city's rebirth.

A new change occurred in 1400, when Paolo Guinigi was elected absolute lord of the city of Lucca thanks to a coup by Giovanni Sercambi, who portrayed him as a peacemaker and defender of the city's anti-Florentine policy.

During the 14th century, the urban layout was profoundly affected by the construction of the Augusta Fortress in the southwestern area (1322), which incorporated the districts of San Pietro in Cortina (now Piazza Grande), the Palazzo Ducale, and San Romano. The eastern districts, which arose outside the Porta di Borgo and Porta San Gervasio and around the churches of San Francesco and San Ponziano, were enclosed by expanding the city walls and bringing the urban area to its current dimensions.