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by Taylor252
St. Louis, Missouri
August 31, 2003
So, I'll talk about the churches facade which I found amazing. (I have some pictures below that show an incredible degree of ornate work.) From the ground up to approx. 40 ft., there is a tall set of columns creating embedded arches in the first tier and then there were four more tiers of arches after that. If you look carefully you'll note that every column on San Michele’s facade is different! Some are corkscrews, some are two colors and some have animal figures on them. On top of the building is a statue of Saint Michael which I really didn't see well till I got my pictures developed. It's simply too high and because of the congestion of buildings in the city you can't get back very far to get a better viewing angle. So you're looking almost straight up. On a back corner is a bell tower which seems plain in comparison to the main church. The building was completed in the 12th century and is valued as one of the few examples of Pisan style Romanesque architecture. If you visit Pisa before coming to Lucca you will see a similarity between the two main churches. Our guide had a few quick notes for us on this church. First, the church was built of the site of the old Roman forum. Second, Puccini started his musical career here as a choir boy. And lastly, some of the residents believe that as long as St. Michael stays on top of the church Lucca is safe. (I'll bet the factory owners the communist part has targeted have a different take on that legend!) San Michele is almost directly in the center of Lucca. Whatever gate you enter, head into the city and you will run into this church eventually. It is occasionally mistaken for the cathedral of Lucca which is actually next to the medieval wall. We enjoyed seeing Lucca and had the feeling that we have been to a truly Renaissance type village of Italy.
From journal Lucca, Italy- A City of Tuscany Worth Seeing
by travel2000
New York, New York
November 2, 2000
From journal Lucca-Walled City