Visiting Lucca with us (in more than 170 pages!) is like taking a trip in a time machine, travelling back into the past to experience the beauty of its incredible architecture, the result of centuries-old wealth created by bankers and silk merchants alike. The historical centre has retained its ancient city-state charm, with narrow stone streets, medieval houses, Renaissance palaces, squares and fountains; for centuries these have attracted pilgrims travelling the Via Francigena, the road which connected Rome to France, one of the most important medieval communication routes. When you arrive in the city, the first sight to greet is the enormous city walls (Mura), a famous image on many postcards and websites about the city…