Church of St. Anne

The Church of St. Anne, just outside the western walls of Lucca, is a very ancient settlement, dating back to the 7th century. The first record of a church dates back to 1331, but it was destroyed by a flood of the Serchio river in 1447. Later rebuilt, it was enlarged in the 17th century and later acquired considerable importance with the opening of the gate of the same name in 1911. The last extension dates back to 6 November 1932 (the bell tower was only added in 1948). 

On 4 September 1944, the town of Lucca was finally free. Luigi Giusti's partisan squads rounded up the town in search of the last Germans. Ten of them took refuge in the parish church of St. Anne, with a mortar and three machine guns, and set up an observation point on the bell tower. 

On the morning of 5 September, as the partisans reached the Palazzo del Goerno, a final battle took place there, in which Alberto and Ezio Angeli, Marcello Fava and Aldo Marchegiani were the protagonists. After three quarters of an hour, the Germans retreated towards the Serchio river through the fields. 

The inscription remained, almost mockingly, on the wall next to the church: 

Unique faith

Love of country

Unique will

Making the Italian

people big.