The most important church in Lucca, dedicated to San Martino,
whose equestrian statue stands in the porch. An excellent Romanesque
façade by Guidetto da Como c. 1204 in the Pisan style, with green
and white bands of marble. The columns display a riot of naturalistic
sculpture. Notice the interesting carving of a labyrinth at the
foot of the campanile. The most important work of art in the
late Gothic interior is the Volto Santo, the town's holiest relic.
An early wooden statue of Christ, supposedly carved by Nicodemus
(in fact it probably dates from the 11th century), it miraculously
floated across the Mediterranean from the Holy Land to Lucca.
It is encased in a handsome Renaissance Tempietto. The beautiful
early 15th century tomb of Ilaria del Carretto Guinigi by Jacopo
della Quercia lies in the Sacristy. The young noblewoman, wife
of the ruler of Lucca, possesses a marvellous serenity, her feet
resting on her faithful dog. The aged Ruskin became completely
obsessed by this figure which he confused with his own passion
for the young Rose de la Touche. Opposite the tomb is a fine
altarpiece by Domenico Ghirlandaio. Across the right transept
the elegant bronze angels are by the local Renaissance sculptor
Matteo Civitali. There is a good Madonna and Child with Saints
by Fra Bartolomeo in the left transept.
