There are apartments in Lucca that sit in the tourist flow — close to the obvious landmarks, photographed a thousand times, booked because they came up first in a search. And then there are places like L'Oasi.

L'Oasi sits on Via del Battistero — a street named after an ancient baptistery, quiet and unhurried, lined with antique dealers and independent craftsmen who have worked here for generations. It is not a street that appears in most guidebooks. It is the kind of street that people who have been to Lucca once come back looking for: real, residential, alive in the way that only old Italian cities can be alive.

The apartment is on the first floor of a historic palazzo. Large windows open directly onto the street, and from morning to evening the light that comes through them is the kind that makes everything inside look a little better than it is. The original graniglia floors — a traditional Lucchese material, cool underfoot in summer, warm in atmosphere in every season — run throughout. High ceilings. Careful furnishing. Nothing anonymous about it.

The Space

L'Oasi is designed to work for up to four guests without ever feeling overcrowded. There is a double bedroom with its own character and privacy, and a living area with a comfortable sofa bed for additional guests. The kitchen is fully equipped — coffee machine, hob, microwave, fridge, all the essentials — because a stay this central deserves the option of a slow morning breakfast before heading out.

Air conditioning keeps the apartment comfortable in the Tuscan summer. Fast WiFi throughout. A bathroom with shower, bidet and all standard amenities. Children are welcome. Pets are welcome by prior agreement. The apartment is on the first floor with no elevator — one flight of stairs, manageable for most guests, and entirely worth it for a location this good.

The Location

Via del Battistero places you in one of the quietest and most authentic corners of Lucca's historic centre. You are not in the middle of the tourist circuit — you are just beside it, which is exactly the right place to be.

The Cathedral of San Martino, one of Tuscany's most beautiful Romanesque churches and home to the celebrated Volto Santo, is a three-minute walk. Piazza Napoleone is around the corner. Piazza San Michele in Foro, built over the original Roman forum, is two minutes away. Via Fillungo, Lucca's pedestrian shopping street, is equally close.

Piazza Anfiteatro — the extraordinary elliptical square built on the foundations of a Roman amphitheatre — is a five-minute walk. The famous tree-topped city walls, wide enough for cycling and evening promenades, are a short stroll in any direction.

And yet from Via del Battistero you hear none of the crowds. The bells of the Cathedral, yes. The occasional bicycle. The sound of someone opening a shutter. That's the Lucca that people come back for.

Getting Around

Lucca's historic centre is entirely pedestrian — once you arrive, you won't need a car. The train station is a 15-minute walk, with direct connections to Pisa (30 min), Florence (1h 20min) and the Versilia coast. From L'Oasi, the entire city is walkable. The Garfagnana valley begins just north of the city. The Versilia Riviera is under 40 minutes by car.

About Officina Villas

Officina Villas manages a small, carefully chosen collection of properties in Lucca's historic centre. We are a local team who knows this city well, available before, during and after your stay to make your time in Lucca genuinely better.

Some places you book. Some places feel like home from the first morning.