Photos: H005, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Streit, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1772-1839 Fischer, Wilhelm, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: H005, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Streit, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1772-1839 Fischer, Wilhelm, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
An amphitheatre hidden inside a square
Your local guide
Serena Pieri
View profile
Highlights
- A Roman amphitheatre, hidden in plain sight
- An oval square tracing ancient arches
- Old stonework built into later walls
- History surviving by being reused
- A shape only clear once you walk it
About this tour
This session traces the Roman amphitheatre still hidden inside the shape of one of Lucca's main squares. You see the oval outline the buildings form, and a surviving stretch of ancient stonework built directly into a later structure. The camera follows the curve of the square throughout to make the shape obvious.
We move slowly around the oval since the shape only really makes sense once you have walked its curve, then pause at the entrance where old stonework is still visible. I explain how the amphitheatre gradually became a normal residential square, and take questions as we go.
It suits anyone interested in how ancient structures survive by being built over rather than preserved as ruins. It also pairs naturally with a session on San Michele nearby.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Lucca before heading out.
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Oval outline 21 min
The camera traces the oval shape of Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, and I explain how the buildings ringing it were built directly onto the arches of a Roman amphitheatre.
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Surviving arch 21 min
At one entrance, you see stonework still visible from the original Roman structure, built into a much later building without ever being removed.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Lucca: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Buccellato di Lucca (aniseed sweet bread) and San Michele, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Lucca, showing you Oval outline and Surviving arch live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Lucca live with my phone.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Mon 2 Nov · 10 seats left From 22,00 €
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