The city of Lucca, also known as the city of the hundred churches is a perfect place to get married if you love nature, art, and traditions. One of the most beloved medieval towns in Italy, part of the classical Tuscany tour, it can become gorgeous scenery for a unique wedding day.
The walls surrounding Lucca have been exceptionally preserved despite growth and modernization. They became a pedestrian area you can walk on and admire the typical Tuscan surroundings and the lovely medieval town they embrace.
Let’s see why getting married in Lucca is an amazing idea!
Weddings in Lucca
Lucca offers a journey in history between medieval and Renaissance tiny streets and historical treasures, the ancient city walls and, once you get out of the city, amazing landscapes, wine, and typical Tuscan hospitality.
Lucca’s particularity is that Catholic weddings here are for residents only. But don’t worry! For your civil or symbolic ceremony, you can choose between Palazzo Orsetti, a beautiful XVI century palace, or one of many amazing villas the local authorities put at the service of those who choose this area to tie the knot.
Best wedding locations in Lucca
Lucca has so many beautiful venues you may choose for your wedding ceremony. Locals are used to working with people from different countries and will go above and beyond to make your wedding day unique and memorable.
Let’s explore some of these locations!
Coselli Collection
This unique property just outside Lucca consists of 6 luxury medieval villas, borgos, and houses.
They will be able to accommodate you and provide lots of activities, from a stroll in their lovely gardens to the sunset near a lake. They also offer cooking classes, yoga retreats, tours, and wine tastings. Fun, relaxation, and joy is a constant of this luxurious place.
Another great thing is that thanks to an agreement with the mayor of Lucca, Coselli Collection is also able to celebrate official civil weddings in some of their Villas.
With more than 20 years of experience in hosting weddings, they ensure amazing quality and spotless service.
If you want to know more about this location, check the Italian Style photoshoot I organized at Villa Bernardini, one of Coselli Collection villas.
Villa Grabau
If you choose this villa for your wedding, you will have a journey of elegance and charm a few steps away from Lucca.
Built on an already existing building dated 1412, it belonged to the powerful family Diodati. Since the Renaissance, it has constantly improved and made even more imposing and luxurious.
Why is this place special? You can organize a Civil wedding here too, in the quiet and sumptuous Box Hedge Theatre, in their gorgeous and enormous English garden, or again in a lovely Lemon House and the garden nearby.
With these sceneries and all the history behind this unique place, your wedding ceremony will be memorable.
Villa Reale di Marlia
Do you want to immerse yourself in an ancient past that has its roots in the Middle Ages, passing through the Napoleonic period to the present day? This is the right place for you.
Villa Reale di Marlia has one of the most astonishing gardens in Italy and an amazing history that won’t leave anyone indifferent.
With its spectacular gardens and stunning buildings, it is the perfect venue for your luxury wedding. From the splendid Water Theatre to the famous Green Theatre where the composer Paganini often performed it is the perfect scene for a unique wedding ceremony.
And there is more! The villa also has a Lemon Garden with its fascinating Fishpond and a natural Spanish Garden in Art Deco style. Every refined taste will be satisfied by all this beauty.
A small private lake and several historic buildings make this villa one of the most prestigious and exclusive venues in Tuscany.
If you want to see more photos of this villa, check my Dolce vita photoshoot.
Villa Oliva
This beautiful villa is part of the legacy of the Buonvisi family from the XVIth century. It is surrounded by a very large park, consisting of various types of gardens and fountains with enchanting scenic effects.
A historical and artistic heritage for the city of Lucca, villa Oliva is perfect for an exclusive wedding ceremony; the large spaces and the contact with nature, the welcoming and refined atmosphere, the charm of the ancient and the beautiful lemon house, where you can organize events also in winter, make this location unique and luxurious.
Besides that, Villa Oliva is one of the places where you can organize a Civil wedding.
Things you probably didn’t know about Lucca
It is a small but proud city
Recognized as a free city by Federico Barbarossa in 1162, it was the only Tuscan city to remain independent from Florence until 1848, when it was incorporated into the Grand Duchy. Luccans are used to being independent and are proud of their origins.
It has the oldest Mint in Europe
Once in Lucca, don’t miss the unique Mint Museum! The Mint of Lucca was the oldest and longest-running in Europe.
It minted coins from 650 to 1843, when the Bourbon administration halted the Mint, which up to that moment, in twelve centuries of uninterrupted activity, had coined more than 2,000 coins!
You can see almost all of them in the Museum and revisit the history of this city through its coins.
Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca
Lucca is also the city of music! It is the birthplace of the great composer Giacomo Puccini, author of the immortal Turandot and Madama Butterfly.
The city is full of Puccini’s memories, between the beautiful Renaissance birthplace of the author and the Teatro del Giglio. You can visit many of the places he lived in and used to visit.
How to arrive to Lucca
Florence, Perugia, Pisa, Bologna, Genoa, and Rome are the closest airports to reach Lucca.
Pisa is the most popular airport for European flights within Europe, while Rome is where most US and Canadian visitors arrive.
By car it will take you 3h30 minutes from Rome, 1 hour from Florence, 25 min from Pisa and 2h30 from Perugia to reach Lucca.
Must-see in Lucca and nearby
Unmissable places to visit in Lucca
Besides the Mint Museum and the city walls I already mentioned, be sure you visit the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, built over the remains of an ancient Roman amphitheater that still preserves its structure.
The gorgeous Lucca Cathedral is a must-see with its immense bell tower that is only half-finished – this is why it has 2 different colors.
Other highlights inside the city are: San Michele in Foro church with its unique facade, the Botanical Garden, delle Ore Tower you can climb for unrivaled views of the city of Lucca, the 45m high XIV century Guinigi tower that has some trees growing over it, and so much more, from an actual Roman aqueduct to the Napoleon place, whose sister, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi used to rule Lucca.
Pisa
From Lucca you can reach Pisa in less than half an hour.
Here you will be able to enjoy the world-famous leaning tower and other monuments on the Square of Miracles, like the Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistry, and the Campanile.
Cinque Terre
Not located in Tuscany, but close enough to organize a one-day trip, The Cinque Terre is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
They are spectacular especially from spring to autumn: exceptional colors, hiking trails, wonderful views, delicious food, and a unique view of the Italian coast.
Montecatini Terme
Take your swimsuit and drive to Montecatini Terme to treat yourself! This is the realm of luxurious wellness.
Here, you can enjoy the thermal waters and beautiful spas that were available only to the local nobles about 600 years ago. It will be an unforgettable experience!
Other places you can visit nearby are Massa Carrara to see how the world-famous marble is extracted, Viareggio for seaside holidays, Pistoia, a gorgeous medieval town, or “The 10 castles of Valeriana”, a mountain area with 10 characteristic small medieval villages.
As always, Italy surprises you with amazing sightseeings and lovely dolce vita activities.
Activities you can do near Lucca
As throughout Tuscany and in other local cities, like Siena, Lucca is rich in wine-tasting and gastronomical activities you will fall in love with and it is perfect if you want to reconnect to nature as well.
Wine tasting
As in other areas of Tuscany, Lucca is famous for its wines. Don’t go with the crowd, discover the less famous ones, like the Montecarlo area.
If you have yachts and sea in mind, that’s not it. This small area not far from Lucca is filled with unique historical buildings and great local wineries that will be happy to host you.
Trekking
Lucca has beautiful landscapes, rolling hills, grapes, and olive trees. You can have some trekking itineraries or bike through the area, stopping at the local osterias and enjoying typical Italian slow-food movement, with genuine local products made on the spot.
Cooking classes
During this activity, you can taste some of the Lucca typical dishes and learn how to make them yourself.
The famous Lucca specialties are the soup of farro. Spelt is baked in mashed beans and borlotti beans, sometimes flavored with pork rind. Another famous dish is Garmugia soup, with peas, artichokes, and asparagus with the addition of bacon and beef.
Not into soups? Don’t miss Tordelli alla Lucchese – ravioli filled with Parmesan or Pecorino cheese served with meat sauce.
Did you like Lucca? Would you like to get married here?
Let me know in the comments.