Why is Piazza dell'Anfiteatro oval?

It follows a Roman amphitheatre

Lucca Walls Quiz: Tree-Lined Ramparts and Puccini's Town

This Lucca walls quiz cycles along the ramparts that circle a Tuscan town. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on walls built in the 1500s and 1600s, their length of about 4 kilometers, bastions, never being used in battle, the 1812 flood they kept out, Marie Louise of Bourbon's park, Puccini's birth, the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro and the Guinigi Tower.

Start Lucca Walls Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Region
Which Italian region is Lucca in?
Built
When were Lucca's current walls built?
Length
About how long are the walls?
Battle
How often were the walls used in battle?
Flood
What did the walls help stop in 1812?
Park
Who turned the walls into a tree-lined promenade?
Composer
Which opera composer was born in Lucca?
Oval
Why is Piazza dell'Anfiteatro oval?
Tower
What grows on top of the Guinigi Tower?
Comics
Which big festival is held in Lucca each autumn?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which Italian region is Lucca in?
Answer: Tuscany
It is near Pisa.
Q2: When were Lucca's current walls built?
Answer: The 1500s and 1600s
They replaced older walls.
Q3: About how long are the walls?
Answer: About 4 kilometers
They circle the whole old town.
Q4: How often were the walls used in battle?
Answer: Never
They worked as a deterrent.
Q5: What did the walls help stop in 1812?
Answer: Floodwaters from the river
Gates were sealed.
Q6: Who turned the walls into a tree-lined promenade?
Answer: Marie Louise of Bourbon
Walkers and cyclists use it today.
Q7: Which opera composer was born in Lucca?
Answer: Giacomo Puccini
He wrote La Bohème and Tosca.
Q8: Why is Piazza dell'Anfiteatro oval?
Answer: It follows a Roman amphitheatre
Houses were built on the old walls.
Q9: What grows on top of the Guinigi Tower?
Answer: Oak trees
It is a medieval landmark.
Q10: Which big festival is held in Lucca each autumn?
Answer: Lucca Comics and Games
It draws huge crowds.

Ramparts You Can Walk Around a Tuscan Town

Lucca in Tuscany is encircled by Renaissance walls built in the 1500s and 1600s, about 4 kilometers long with bastions jutting outward. They are among the best preserved city walls in Europe, yet they were never used in battle, serving instead as a deterrent.

In 1812 the gates were sealed to keep out floodwaters from the river, and the walls saved the town. Later, Marie Louise of Bourbon turned their broad tops into a tree-lined promenade. Today locals walk, jog and cycle around the town on top of the ramparts.

Inside, the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro follows the outline of a Roman amphitheatre, with houses built on its old foundations. The medieval Guinigi Tower has oak trees growing on its roof. Composer Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca, and each autumn the town hosts Lucca Comics and Games.

What This Quiz Teaches

Travel fans will enjoy these questions.

When the walls were built
How they were used
What tops them today
Which landmarks lie inside
Who was born in Lucca

Did You Know?

Bike rental shops cluster near the walls.
Lucca has many church towers.
Puccini's birthplace is now a museum.
Buccellato is a sweet local bread.
Summer concerts are held in the town's squares.