Shopping

Lucca's main shopping promenades are the elite Via Fillungo and more proletarian Via Santa Lucia, both epicenters of the evening passeggiata. To pick up a bottle of DOC Vino Rosso delle Colline Lucchesi, divine Lucca olive oil, Garfagnana honey, and other local edibles, head to Lucca in Tavola, Via San Paolino 130-132 (tel. 0583-581-002). For a less commercial venture, drop by the famous ultratraditional dried beans and seed shop Antica Bottega di Prospero, Via Santa Lucia 13 (no phone; www.bottegadiprospero.it). Since 1965, the best wine cellar in town has been the Enoteca Vanni, Piazza del Salvatore 7 (tel. 0583-491-902; www.enotecavanni.com), with hundreds of bottles of local and Tuscan vintage lining the cryptlike rooms under the tiny storefront. And who can pass up the heavenly rich chocolates at the Cioccolateria Caniparoli, Via San Paolino 96, at the corner of Via Galli Tassi (tel. 0583-53-456).

Lucca has lots of jewelry stores but none more gorgeous than Carli, Via Fillungo 95 (tel. 0583-491-119), specializing in antique jewelry, watches, and silver from its high-vaulted room frescoed in 1800.

Markets

A huge antiques market, one of Italy's most important, is held the third Sunday (and preceding Sat) of every month in Piazza Antelminelli and the streets around the Duomo. It's great fun but also leaves rooms hard to find and restaurants booked, especially at lunch (even those normally closed Sun reopen for this one). It's spawned a local art market on Piazza del Arancio on the same dates, and the final Sunday of the month sees an artisans' market on Piazza San Giusto. A cute little Christmas market is held on Piazza dell'Anfiteatro from December 8 to December 26, and September 13 to September 29 brings an agricultural market to Piazza San Michele featuring Lucca's wines, honeys, and olive oils.