Geography of Lucca
Lucca, Italy, a city in Tuscany. It lies near the Ligurian Sea, about 165 miles (265 km) northwest of Rome. Lucca is an agricultural trading center and produces olive oil, wine, and textiles. Stone ramparts, built in the 16th and 17th centuries, enclose the center of Lucca, a historic area of narrow streets and spacious squares lined by medieval and Renaissance buildings. The city is especially noted for its Romanesque churches, including the cathedral.
A Roman colony was established on the site of Lucca in 180 B.C.After the fall of Rome in the fifth century A.D., it passed to the Lombards. The city became independent during the 1100's and, except for short periods, remained so until it was taken by Napoleon in 1799. Lucca was absorbed by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1847 and by the Kingdom of Sardinia, nucleus of the Kingdom of Italy, in 1860.
Population: 90,686.