Culture and traditions in Lucca
Customs that endure, generation after generation.
Historical festivals, medieval fairs, religious celebrations, and traditional processions keep the identity of Tuscan communities alive throughout the year. In Lucca, the highlight of this calendar is the... Luminara of Santa Croce, on the night of September 13The city turns off its electric lights and thousands of candles illuminate the route of the historic procession, which departs from the Basilica of San Frediano and accompanies the Holy Cross to the Cathedral of San Martino, where the "mottettone," a new choral composition performed each year, is played. The following day, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated with a solemn mass and veneration of the Holy Face, concluding the Lucchese September festivities.
THE Antiques MarketThe third weekend of the month is the best-known of the city's regular gatherings, but it's far from the only one: Artistically, dedicated to pieces made entirely by hand, takes over Corso Garibaldi on the second weekend; the Art and Engineering MarketIn the San Paolino neighborhood, it brings together small artisans in the squares where Puccini was born; Arts and Crafts FairIn Piazza San Giusto, ceramicists, glassmakers, and carpenters gather on the last weekend of the month; and the Village MarketLocated beneath the historic Porta dei Borghi, it occupies Via Michele Rosi every third Sunday. For those who prefer flavor to craftsmanship, the Farmers' Market, at Foro Boario, it operates every Saturday (and also on Wednesdays in the summer).
This passion for crafts isn't limited to fairs: Lucca maintains numerous family-run shops, ceramic workshops, handcrafted bookbinding, leatherwork, woodworking, and jewelry making, with techniques passed down through generations, often with the artisan themselves greeting visitors at the counter. In December, the Christmas markets The main squares are filled with special lighting, and Christmas concerts are held in churches throughout the city, closing the year in a beautiful contrast to the quiet of the Lucca winter.
