In the bas-relief panels of the months, in the atrium of the Cathedral of St. MartinMarch, with his farming tools, has already returned to the fields and is busy pruning the plants, which will soon bear flowers and then the first fruits.

He is one of the 12 characters who equally zealously carried out their work, country work, linked to the land and food, an activity that still gives life to the territory, and an inexhaustible source of wealth for the table.
The twelve months of the year represented by the twelve professions and the twelve zodiac signs are still there, well preserved, next to the life of Saint Martin and the stories of the Saints.

A tasty itinerary through the historic center of Lucca begins here.

Chasing scents, flavors, and historical anecdotes, we suggest you do on Saturday morning for a reason you'll discover at the end.

From Piazza San Martino, Piazza San Michele is just a short walk away. But let's not take the easiest route. From Piazza Napoleone, we look beyond the surrounding trees for an archway and enter. It's a beautiful, hidden corner of the city, two adjoining courtyards that fit into the regular layout of Roman streets. The first courtyard (in Lucca, "la corte") is tall and narrow. It is overlooked by brick houses with typical medieval architecture, complete with balconies, family crests, and sills for buckets of water, which once came directly from the wells below. The second courtyard, with its galleried houses and exposed wooden beams, reveals the structure's Roman origins.

And the Fish Court, The exit onto Via Pescheria leaves no doubt about the market that once took place there. Freshwater fish, mainly from the canals surrounding the city and from Lake Sesto, was sold.
It seems that the people of Lucca at the time greatly preferred freshwater fish to saltwater fish.

From Via Pescheria, on the right, you pass to Beccheria StreetA toponym deriving from the Late Latin bocharîa and bocharius which, through Medieval French, respectively indicated the butcher's shop and the butcher, Italianized as beccheria and beccaio.

Here we are in Piazza San MicheleOne of the two centers, along with Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, of Lucca's historic center. Since the 14th century, it was the market place, especially for grain, and was held in such high regard that it was forbidden to keep pigs in the immediate vicinity, even for sale. Later, moneychangers and silk merchants found their way here. Evidence of this remains in the graffiti on one side of the church, which depict ships, minarets, and fortresses.

The genius loci of this corner of the city has ensured that pastry shops, bakeries, wine shops, ice cream parlors, and other specialty shops have gathered around the square, which we'll leave you to discover for yourself.

Let's continue our tour from Court of Eggs We pass the area dedicated to the small poultry market and continue along Via del Moro, whose name derives from an ancient inn called "del Moro" in the area, on the corner of Via del Moro and Via San Giorgio, known as the "Cantone della Taberna Maggiore." At this point, it's worth stopping by the small Domus Romana Museum, Casa del Fanciullo sul Delfino, to learn more about the cuisine of Roman taverns.

Here, in addition to the visit, you can participate (on request) in guided tours and period buffets prepared with meticulous historical attention.

Once the visit is over, we dive back into the alleys, we retrace via San Giorgio, via Streghi and so we are in Piazza del Carmine where the former market building presents itself with its regular façade. But it's a renovation not too long ago. The Mercato del Carmine was once a convent, a common sight in Lucca's historic center, where it's been renovated and converted to other uses. It was entirely handed over to the municipality in 1868, and in 1930 it became a retail food market, operating until the 90s. The bell tower has since become the clock tower.

And here we are finally in Amphitheater SquareThe modern alter ego of Piazza San Michele, which was chosen to house the food market in semi-permanent structures and which continued in this role until the early 900s, when it was transferred to the Mercato del Carmine. The square was alive with the voices and shouts of all the street vendors and citizens who came there for their daily shopping: bread, vegetables, meat, and fish. For years, before its current fame, the only remaining stalls were chestnut vendors in the winter.

We're not finished yet. There's one more place to discover: you have to exit Porta Santa Maria and enter Borgo Giannotti, in what is effectively still the "historic center," even though it's outside the Renaissance walls. The village ends where it meets the river, and there, at the intersection of the roads coming from the Garfangana mountains and the Versilia coast, lies the Forum Boarium, the 19th-century building that once housed the animal market. Today, it hosts various activities, including flea markets and, on Saturday mornings, the farmers' market.

If it's Saturday, take advantage of the opportunity to fill your basket with market delights and find a nice spot along the riverside park for a snack.