St. Martin Cathedral at Lucca, Tuscany

Lucca is a historic city in Tuscany, Italy. This city is best known for its impressive architecture like old churches, art galleries and art museums. 

Speaking of old churches, you must not forget to visit the giant columnar-inspired arcades of the Italian Duomo or the Cathedral of St. Martin. 

Some reports clam there’s no lucid indications of this basilica but to some, they believed this Gothic-inspired architecture was built in 1063 lead by Pope Alexander II.  The eye-catching façade and three arches were added in 1204 where you can now see the historic painting of St. Martin with the Poor Man. If you go to the left portal, you surely appreciate the works of Nicolo Pisano.

The next attraction to be applauded next to the façade is the bell-tower, which was finished in 13th century. Inside this tower are the hanging arches and single to four-shaped windows and if you stand at the center of the area, you notice its asymmetrical shaped background.

What’s Inside?

Entering inside the Cathedral feels so brilliantly good for first-timers. You can immediately notice its octagonal-shaped temple in the farthest end where lays the relic of Volto Santo di Lucca.  Nicodemus sculptured the wooden corpus.  

Inside the Nave is the cedar-wood appearance of the crucifix, where the Christ wore long sleeveless clothing. The color of the clothing was reportedly changed from red to blue symbolizing martyrdom. 

Take a look at the statue for at least three minutes and you can somehow recognize as if the wooden statue is moving. This sense of imaginary movement is due to the elaborate positioning of the symmetrical lines of the cross. 

Other historic masterpieces in Lucca for you to explore are Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto by Jacopo della Quercia, Madonna and Child with Saint Peter, Saint Clement and Saint Sebastian by Ghirlandaio, Adoration of Magi by Zuccari and of cource, Tintoretto’s The Last Supper.