Where is Lucca in Tuscany and why are there so many villa rentals available there?
In short, Lucca is a very very beautiful area of Tuscany, one of my favorites. Lucca is famous for many things such as gardens, fountains, churches, opera, cigars, etc. Lucca province has the most beautiful hills, plants, mountains and little rivers.
However, many villas and other holiday rentals are located deeply in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere. In order to get to the civilization you’ll have to drive through narrow mountain roads which is time consuming and tiring. Some people get car sick in the drives like that.
So generally, the cheaper your Lucca villa is the further it is from the civilization.
The Lucca area in Northern Tuscany is one of my favorite places. Geographically, Lucca is about 45 minutes from Florence and 20 minutes from the beaches of the Italian Riviera. It’s also in close proximity to the Carrara marble quarries in the Apuan Alps and the Cinque Terre in Liguria Since the Middle Ages, Lucchesi (people from Lucca) have been renowned merchants, bankers and businessmen. In fact, Lucca is sometimes referred to as the “Switzerland of Italy,” because, even during the turbulent times of Medici rule in Florence, the Lucchesi remained focused on commerce and largely managed to avoid being drawn into local conflicts among the other warring Tuscan city-states. While waging perpetual war eventually impoverished the Florentines, the Lucchesi were instead able to retain most of their wealth, much of which they chose to spend on constructing large, palatial homes. The wealthiest Lucchesi built stately mansions on vast territories just outside the city walls in order to have se
