Sit at one of the many cafés with open-air seating and take in Lucca’s beautiful Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro while you sip on an espresso. Colourful buildings of varied height enclose the piazza on all sides. The piazza was built on the ruins of a second-century Roman amphitheatre, where crowds of up to 10,000 spectators would gather within the piazza’s walls to watch chariots race and gladiators fight to the death.
After the fall of the Roman Empire the arena was levelled and the site was used for a salt warehouse, a prison and a slaughterhouse. Today, it is a bustling plaza renowned for its outdoor shops, restaurants and cafés.
To enter the piazza, walk through one of the four arches around its perimeter. Observe the piazza’s unique elliptical shape, which comes from the Roman stadium that it was built upon and serves as a reminder of the city’s rich heritage.
Visit Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro on April 27 to see the square covered in a sea of colourful blossoms. On this date, the piazza is converted into a flower market to honour the life St. Zita, an important religious figure for the citizens of Lucca.
During the 13th century, Zita worked as a maid for a wealthy family. Every day, she would fill her apron with bread and scraps to give to the underprivileged. One day Zita’s employer, who was suspicious of Zita’s bulging smock, asked her to reveal the contents of her apron. When she opened the apron, the loaves of bread that she was carrying had miraculously turned into flowers.
Many people visit the piazza to enjoy the surroundings whilst dining in a café or restaurant. The piazza also has plenty of souvenir stores.
Before leaving, take a walk around the circumference of Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro. Keep an eye out for buildings whose walls incorporate the original Roman brickwork.
Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro is located on the north end of Lucca’s main shopping street, Via Fillungo.
