Piazza Napoleone, Lucca
Square in Lucca
Piazza Napoleone, known locally as Piazza Grande, is where Lucca's political power, courtly ambition, and modern cultural life all collide in one spacious, elegant square. In the 14th century, Castruccio Castracani, the formidable Ghibelline warlord, chose this very spot for his Augusta Fortress and palace, stamping his authority over the city until the structures were torn down in 1370 after his fall from power. Today, nothing of that fortress survives above ground, yet the piazza still feels like Lucca's grand stage, framed by palazzi, trees, and wide stone paving that fills with markets, concerts, and everyday life.
The square's current look owes much to the early 19th century and the rule of Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister and Princess of Lucca from 1805 to 1815. She ordered a dramatic reimagining of the entire space: houses, warehouses, a tower, the archive, workshops, and even the Church of San Pietro Maggiore were demolished to open up the piazza and highlight the Palazzo Ducale. Architects redesigned the area with symmetry and perspective in mind, and a graceful line of sycamore trees was planted around the edges, softening the monumental architecture. Today, you sit under those trees with a coffee, watching the provincial offices on the west side and the Palazzo Ducale to the east, hardly realising that this calm, leafy space was once a fortress and later a Napoleonic showpiece-and now one of the best places to visit in Lucca if you want to understand its layers of power and style. It is often visited on walking tours of Lucca, which use the square as a natural starting or finishing point.
Table of Contents
- History and Significance of Piazza Napoleone
- Things to See and Do in Piazza Napoleone
- How to Get to Piazza Napoleone
- Practical Tips on Visiting Piazza Napoleone
- Where to Stay close to Piazza Napoleone
- Is Piazza Napoleone Worth Visiting?
- FAQs for Visiting Piazza Napoleone
- Nearby Attractions to Piazza Napoleone
History and Significance of Piazza Napoleone
The story of Piazza Napoleone begins with Castruccio Castracani, Lucca's most famous medieval strongman. In 1322, as head of the powerful degli Antelminelli family and a key Ghibelline condottiero, he chose this site to build the Augusta Fortress and a palace, turning the area into a fortified seat of his rule. For a time, the fortress embodied his control over Lucca, but when he was expelled and his regime collapsed, the structures became symbols of oppression. In 1370, the citizens of Lucca demolished both the fortress and palace, reclaiming the space and underscoring how quickly power can change hands.
Centuries later, the Napoleonic era gave the piazza a new identity. From 1805 to 1815, Elisa Bonaparte ruled the Principality of Lucca and Piombino and decided that this central space should reflect her modernising vision and her brother's imperial prestige. Two architects were commissioned to redesign the area, giving visual dominance to the Palazzo Ducale and clearing away the dense fabric of houses, workshops, and the Church of San Pietro Maggiore that crowded the site. The result was a broad, open piazza framed by uniform façades and planted with a ring of sycamore trees, which still provide shade and structure today. The square was dedicated to Napoleon, cementing both its new name and its symbolic role as a stage for power.
After the Congress of Vienna, Lucca's status shifted again. The Principality became a Duchy under Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, who asked architect Lorenzo Nottolini to renovate the Palazzo Ducale and sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini to create a self-celebratory statue for the centre of the square. Over time, administrative functions consolidated here, and the building on the west side became home to provincial offices. Archaeological excavations in 1998 added yet another layer to the story, revealing the buried foundations of structures destroyed in the Napoleonic transformation. Today, glass blocks set into the paving allow you to glimpse these remains, reminding visitors that under this apparently modern, orderly space lies a palimpsest of fortresses, churches, and civic buildings.
Things to See and Do in Piazza Napoleone
A visit to Piazza Napoleone is as much about soaking up atmosphere as it is about ticking off specific sights. Start by walking around the perimeter beneath the sycamore trees, noticing how they frame the space and soften the outlines of the surrounding palazzi. On one side rises the Palazzo Ducale, its long façade and courtyard entrances hinting at the power once wielded within; on the opposite side stand institutional buildings that now house provincial offices, continuing the square's role as a centre of governance.
Pause over the glass blocks set into the ground near one edge of the piazza. Through them, you can peer down at the excavated foundations of earlier structures-silent evidence of the medieval and early modern city swept away during Elisa Bonaparte’s redesign. It’s a small but evocative window into the layers of history beneath your feet. Depending on the time of year, you might also find markets or small fairs set up here, adding colour and bustle to the broad flat expanse.
In summer, Piazza Napoleone transforms into Lucca's main open-air concert venue. The Lucca Summer Festival brings international artists to a stage set up in the square, turning the piazza into a nighttime amphitheatre filled with music, lights, and thousands of fans. Even if you're not in town for a big concert, you might encounter smaller performances, events, or seasonal festivities. At quieter times, the square makes a pleasant place to sit, people-watch, and plan your next stop-whether that's the nearby San Martino Cathedral, San Michele in Foro, or the tree-lined city walls that ring the historic centre.
How to Get to Piazza Napoleone
Piazza Napoleone sits near the southern side of Lucca's walled historic centre, just a short walk from Porta San Pietro and close to the Cathedral of San Martino. Once you've entered the city walls, follow signs for “Piazza Napoleone” or “Piazza Grande,” or simply head toward the cluster of central streets south of Via Fillungo; the broad, open square is easy to find and acts as a natural landmark.
If you are arriving by air, the most convenient airports for Lucca are Pisa International Airport and Florence Airport, both of which offer regular flights and onward links into Tuscany. For the best deals and a seamless booking experience, check out these flights to Lucca on Booking.com. From either airport, you can reach Lucca by train, bus, or hire car, then walk into the historic centre to find the piazza.
Lucca's train station lies just outside the southern stretch of the city walls, near Porta San Pietro, and is well connected to Pisa, Florence, and other regional hubs.Use Omnio to easily compare schedules, book train tickets, and find the best prices all in one place for a hassle-free journey across Italy. From the station, it's roughly a 10-minute walk: cross through Porta San Pietro, continue toward the cathedral, then follow signs or local streets to Piazza Napoleone, which opens up as a large rectangle just behind the Palazzo Ducale.
If you are travelling by car, the A11 motorway and local roads link Lucca with Pisa, Florence, and the wider Tuscan countryside.If you are looking to rent a car in Italy I recommend having a look at Discover Cars, first, as they compare prices and review multiple car rental agencies for you. Because the historic centre is largely a limited traffic zone, it's best to leave your car in one of the parking areas outside or just inside the walls near Porta San Pietro or Porta Sant'Anna. From there, it's an easy walk into town, and Piazza Napoleone is one of the first major squares you encounter.
Practical Tips on Visiting Piazza Napoleone
- Suggested tips: Take time to walk the full perimeter under the sycamore trees, then cross the square slowly to appreciate how the space opens and closes around the Palazzo Ducale.
- Best time to visit: Late afternoon and early evening are ideal, when the light softens on the surrounding buildings and locals use the piazza as a meeting point.
- Entrance fee: The piazza itself is a public space with free access; only ticketed events like concerts require paid admission.
- Opening hours: Open 24 hours a day as part of Lucca’s historic centre; event set-up may restrict certain areas temporarily.
- How long to spend: Plan 20-40 minutes for a typical visit, longer if you stay for a concert, market, or a relaxed drink at a nearby café.
- Accessibility: The piazza is flat and spacious with smooth paving, making it easy to navigate for wheelchairs, strollers, and anyone with limited mobility.
- Facilities: Surrounding streets offer cafés, bars, restaurants, and shops, as well as restrooms for customers; during festivals, temporary facilities and food stands may be added.
- Photography tip: For a classic shot, stand at one end of the piazza to capture the full sweep of the square with the Palazzo Ducale as a backdrop; at night, use the glow from concert lights or street lamps to frame the trees and façades.
- Guided tours: Many guided city walks pass through Piazza Napoleone, using it as a key stop to explain Lucca's political history, the Bonaparte era, and modern festivals.
- Nearby food options: The area around the square and along adjacent streets like Via Beccheria and Via Vittorio Veneto offers plenty of trattorie, wine bars, and gelaterie where you can linger before or after your visit.
Where to Stay close to Piazza Napoleone
Staying near Piazza Napoleone puts you right at the crossroads of Lucca's civic life, within easy walking distance of the cathedral, the city walls, and key shopping streets. Just a short stroll from the square, Albergo San Martino makes a welcoming base close to both the cathedral and the southern gateways to the old town. For travellers who prefer to be tucked slightly closer to the eastern walls while remaining near the piazza and main sights, Hotel Ilaria offers comfortable rooms and quick access to the historic centre. If you enjoy staying in a building with its own history, Palazzo Alexander provides characterful accommodation in a restored palace, with Piazza Napoleone, San Michele in Foro, and Via Fillungo all within an easy walk.
Is Piazza Napoleone Worth Visiting?
Piazza Napoleone is absolutely worth visiting, especially if you want to see how Lucca has continually reinvented its central spaces. It may not have the medieval intimacy of smaller squares, but its scale, symmetry, and sycamore-framed edges give it a distinct personality. Here you can read the city's political history-from Castruccio's fortress to Elisa Bonaparte's grand redesign and the later Bourbon duchy-while also enjoying a very contemporary scene of festivals, concerts, and everyday life. As a place to pause between churches and towers, or to experience Lucca at its most sociable during the Lucca Summer Festival, the piazza more than earns its place on your itinerary.
What Other Travellers Say...
Piazza Napoleone in Lucca is a lively, spacious square framed by the 1500s Ducal Palace, lined with shops, cafes and restaurants, and shaded by grand trees; visitors praise it as a beautiful must-see spot with a carousel for children, a popular place to linger amid historic architecture, and a venue for seasonal events like festive Christmas markets and summer concerts.
FAQs for Visiting Piazza Napoleone
Nearby Attractions to Piazza Napoleone
- Cathedral of San Martino - Lucca's duomo, just a short walk away, with a Romanesque façade, Gothic interior, and renowned artworks.
- Lucca's Historical Walls - The tree-lined Renaissance walls encircling the city, accessible within minutes from the square for a panoramic walk or bike ride.
- San Michele in Foro - Striking Romanesque church on the site of the Roman forum, dominated by its ornate façade and statue of the Archangel Michael.
- Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - Unique oval piazza built on the footprint of the Roman amphitheatre, ringed with cafés and shops in the northeast of the centre.
- Guinigi Tower - Iconic brick tower topped by a rooftop garden of holm oaks, offering stunning views over Lucca's rooftops and surrounding hills.
The Piazza Napoleone appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Lucca!
Moira & Andy
Hey! We're Moira & Andy. From hiking the Camino to trips around Europe in Bert our campervan — we've been traveling together since retirement in 2020!
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Planning Your Visit
Open 24 hours a day as part of Lucca’s historic centre; event set-up may restrict certain areas temporarily.
The piazza itself is a public space with free access; only ticketed events like concerts require paid admission.
Nearby Attractions
- Palazzo Ducale in Lucca (0.1) km
Historic Building and Museum - Teatro del Giglio (0.1) km
Theatre - Risorgimento Museum in Lucca (0.1) km
Museum - Church and Baptistery of Santi Giovanni e Reparata (0.2) km
Church and Museum - San Michele in Foro (0.2) km
Basilica - Puccini Museum (0.2) km
Historic Building and Museum - Cathedral of San Martino (0.3) km
Cathedral - Torre delle Ore (0.3) km
Tower - Church of St Maria della Rosa (0.4) km
Church - Domus Romana (0.4) km
Historic Site
