Contained, elegant and encircled by one of Italy’s best-preserved city walls, Lucca is among the most beautiful of Tuscany’s gorgeous cities, and just over an hour’s drive from The Mall Firenze.

Our entry point to the ancient centre is Porta Santa Maria. For breakfast we can choose the atelier of acclaimed pastry chef Damiano Carrara, just outside the walls, or elegant Caffè Santa Zita in Piazza San Frediano, dominated by the basilica with the stunning golden mosaic on its facade.

A short walk takes us to the oval-shaped Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, the iconic heart of the city, built in the nineteenth century on the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre.

Not far away, we can enjoy a spectacular view of the unmistakable Guinigi Tower, with its small rooftop garden.

Now we head to the Cathedral of San Martino. It’s packed with masterpieces, from the ancient wooden crucifix known as the Holy Face of Lucca to the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia; for another unique view of the roofs and the cathedral itself, climb to the top of the bell tower.

For lunch, there are two unmissable addresses: the storied Buca di Sant’Antonio, a temple to traditional cooking, and Ristorante Giglio, for a more sophisticated contemporary approach.

Coffee and dessert at celebrated Pasticceria Pinelli or Taddeucci in Piazza San Michele, to sample Lucca’s emblematic sweet buccellato. In the same square is the Church of San Michele in Foro, built on an ancient Roman forum.

If we still have the energy we can climb the Torre delle Ore, the highest in the city, with its fourteenth-century clock, still wound by hand.

At sunset, the thing to do is a panoramic walk around the city walls from Porta San Pietro: over four kilometres long and 30 metres wide, it was opened to the public in the nineteenth century.

Having completed the circuit (approximately 45 minutes) it’s time to head back into the centre and replenish energy with dinner at Elkano, an original distillery and restaurant.