Hidden treasures

Lucchio: the invisible town near Lucca.

Unknown places & works
lucchio-1

Lucchio: the invisible town near Lucca.

There is an invisible town in Tuscany. Its name is Lucchio and it is perched high over the valley of the River Lima, one of the tributaries of the River Serchio. It is so close to the mountain that you can hardly see it until you are in its proximity. This is why it is called invisible! Magic has nothing to do with it! But it is still a record-breaking town, given that it boasts the title of the highest perched town in the whole of Tuscany!

The village seems to be part of the mountain with the houses giving the impression they have been built on top of each other like in an incredible jigsaw puzzle. The houses, all stone-built, usually have two or three floors and are accessed from the top floor. This is usually level with the narrow alleys of the village, while the other floors are at the back, perpendicular to the rock itself. In short, if you suffer from vertigo Lucchio may not be your kind of place! Just to make you understand how much this town is really overhanging the valley below, we will tell you an old anecdote: it is said that in the days when every family owned at least one hen, a basket was tied to her rear to stop the eggs from rolling down the cliff! Funny, don’t’ you think?

The town is very old and its incredible remoteness has always been its main advantage: difficult to see and even more to reach! Like any self-respecting village, it also has its beautiful fortress which was allegedly built at the behest of Matilde di Canossa and also that it was one of the most difficult to conquer. What about today? Unfortunately for its characteristics, it is becoming a ghost town that comes alive only in the summer when some of the restored houses resound with the voices of holiday makers who come here to enjoy the fresh air, the quiet and the breathtaking views.

Do you want to discover other villages like Lucchio with us? Book our tours of Tuscany’s villages and you will visit the most beautiful and characteristic ones.

By Insidecom Editorial Staff

Latest posts

Siena: Ricciarelli: Siena’s sweets hailing from the far East.

ricciarelli-
Local Traditions

Alongside panforte, they are among Siena’s sweets that best represent the city. Just thinking about their orange and vanilla scent, s...

View

Florence: Who invented the bistecca alla fiorentina?

bistecca
Local Traditions

The Florentine beefsteak is the undisputed queen of Tuscany’s gastronomy. Including the bone, and strictly cooked in ‘blood’ (i.e...

View

Tuscany: Ferdinando Innocenti: the inventor of the Lambretta.

Lambretta
Big Names

There is no doubt that Tuscany is a land of inventors. Just think of Leonardo da Vinci! Ferdinando Innocenti is also one of them. Do yo...

View

Florence: Negroni was born in Florence!

Negroni
Did you know that...

Now that Mojito and Moscow Mule are all the rage as aperitifs, there are classic cocktails that have stood the test of time and moods. ...

View

Top posts

Arezzo: Guido d'Arezzo and the invention of the music

Guido-d-Arezzo
Big Names

In Talla and surroundings people have no doubt: the inventor of the musical stave, the inventor of the music notes and also of the mode...

View

Pistoia: The Kiss of the Christs in Gavinana

Il-bacio-dei-cristi
Local Traditions

It is a very ancient but still popular rite. Two large processions that meet up with a Christ on the cross in front of each one: the he...

View

Siena: Piero Carbonetti and his tin drum

Piero-Carbonetti
Local Traditions

Subversive, persecuted, anarchist, homeless, dreamer: it is really difficult to define Piero Carbonetti, Tuscan bred and born and Garib...

View

Pisa: Kinzika, the young woman who saved Pisa from the Saracens

Kinzika
Local Traditions

It was really her, a young woman with an Arabian name, Kinzica, of the noble Sismondi family, to save Pisa from being sacked by Saracen...

View