Lucca Cathedral

Fun Facts

• • During the Middle Ages, the cathedral portico served as a commercial hub where money changers assisted pilgrims travelling the Via Francigena, a practice so common that an inscription was carved to warn them against fraud.
• • Matteo Civitali, Lucca's most famous sculptor, left an indelible mark on the interior with his delicate marble works, including the exquisite Tempietto that protects the sacred Volto Santo.
• • The Volto Santo, or Holy Face of Lucca, is a wooden crucifix that legend claims was carved by Nicodemus, an eyewitness to the crucifixion, and miraculously arrived in the city by boat in the 8th century.
• • The bell tower remains a prominent feature of the Lucca skyline, containing seven bells cast in the 13th and 14th centuries.
• • The facade appears distinctly asymmetric because it had to be built around a pre-existing bell tower, forcing the builders to adapt the architecture to the space available.
• • The facade bears the signature of the architect Guidetto da Como, who carved his name and the date 1204 directly into the stone, an act of pride rarely seen so prominently on major cathedrals of that era.
• • The floor contains a large marble inlay depicting the Judgment of Solomon, created in 1475, which highlights the city's long tradition of refined craftsmanship.
• • The portico features a mysterious labyrinth carving on one of its pillars, often interpreted as a symbol of the difficult path to salvation or a link to ancient traditions.
• • The tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia, is widely considered one of the finest examples of Italian Renaissance funerary art, capturing a poignant moment of eternal rest.
• • To celebrate the city's liberation from Pisan rule in 1370, the Lucchese people dedicated an altar to the concept of Liberty within the cathedral, a powerful statement of their newfound independence.