photo by Davide Seddio

Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is in the center of the walled Tuscan city of Lucca. The ring of buildings surrounding the square were built on the foundation stones of an elliptically shaped second century Roman Amphitheater. There are four gates entering the piazza and a cross is carved into the central tile of the square pointing to each of the portals. The massive elevated earth and stone wall surrounding the city adds to the livability of this beautiful Renaissance town--it is a park enjoyed my families with children, cyclists, joggers and tourists alike.

Photos taken from our hot air balloon above Tuscany with our Pilot, Stefano Travaglia and his wife Gianna. Contact Balloon in Tuscany (Idea Balloon) On Facebook.

Three of Shakespeare's plays are set in Verona: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Taming of the Shrew. It is unknown if Shakespeare ever visited Verona or Italy at all, but his plays have lured many visitors to Verona to pay homage at "Juliette's House" where young lovers leave notes on a wall below a balcony, pose while polishing the bronze Juliette statue's breast, and leave love notes stuck to a wall with chewing gum.