Chiesa e Battistero di San Giovanni e Santa Reparata

The Duomo's Romanesque neighbor has a 16th-century facade and a 12th-century body, but recent excavations have revealed the structure is actually five layers deep. It sits atop a much older Lombard church that served until the early 700s as Lucca's cathedral, which in turn was built atop a 5th-century-A.D. paleo-Christian church and 6th-century cemetery, which took the place of a Roman temple built atop Roman houses. In the 9th century, a crypt was added. In all, 12 centuries of history jumble together in a confusing but interesting mélange beneath the pavement inside (well-signed, nonrestrictive use with a handout to help you figure it all out).

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