"Lucca. Chiesa di San Michele"

gelatin silver print

stamp verso

Photograph from a collection of tourism photographs from the first half of the 20^th century, issued by Italian tourism boards. High-quality works by renowned studios, such as the Alinari brothers, were frequently used to promote Italy as a travel destination. With the West German Economic Miracle (Wirtschaftswunder) of the 1950s, these idealized images of longing became a reality: rising prosperity and increased leisure time transformed vacations into a status symbol. Italy – particularly the Riviera and the Adriatic coast – became the number one destination of choice. By the mid-1950s, 4.5 million Germans were already traveling across the Alps, marking the beginning of modern mass tourism.¹

The church of San Michele in Foro in Lucca is a stunning example of Romanesque architecture. Commissioned in 1070 by Pope Alexander II, the basilica stands directly on the ancient Roman forum, the historical and geographical heart of the old town. The absolute highlight of the building is its extraordinarily tall, freestanding 13^th century facade, which rises significantly higher than the actual church roof. The grand facade is crowned by a monumental, four-meter-high sculpture of the Archangel Michael depicted slaying the dragon.
(Christoph Fuchs)

Note

1
"Geteiltes Deutschland: Modernisierung. Bundesrepublik im Wandel. Tourismus", Lebendiges Museum online, Deutsches Historisches Museum, https://www.hdg.de/lemo/kapitel/geteiltes-deutschland-modernisierung/bundesrepublik-im-wandel/tourismus.html (accessed 26.6.2026)