From ancient times, Lucca has been abundant with lush vegetation and has had a constant water supply. The name Lucca stems from the Celtic name “luc” that means swampy ground. Recent archeological finds have shown that Etruscan and Ligurian civilizations coexisted and worked together to build canals and regulate the periodic floods of the Serchio river.
In the third century BC, Lucca came under Roman domination. It became a major road junction and in Tuscany became a strategic crossroad that linked Northern Italy with the rest of Europe. The fall of the Roman Empire was followed by a succession of rulers, from the Goths to the Byzantines until the VI century when the Lombards made Lucca the capital of Tuscia, and this lasted until the end of the IX century. At about this time, the Lombard kingdom was converted to Christianity.
It is in this period that the construction of the churches began. Between the VIII and the XI centuries, fifty one churches were built in Lucca.
Between the XIII and XIV centuries, a series of 12 meter high walls were constructed to defend the city against conflicts with Genoa and Pisa. This period also saw the apex of the political and economic power of Lucca. Silk making and trading allowed Lucca’s banks to expand throughout Europe and attain a level of wealth that resulted in the reorganisation and reconstruction of virtually the whole city.

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