To understand how Lucca has always been tied to its independence, one might begin with the story of Francesco Burlamacchi, a Lucca politician born in 1498, who became Gonfaloniere of the Republic of Lucca in 1533. His political project was to unite all the states of Tuscany under a single republican federation, following a rebellion that was supposed to drive the Medici out of Florence.

A state modeled after the Swiss confederation. The plan, however, was discovered and Lucca was on the brink of war with Florence: in the end, Emperor Charles V intervened to settle the dispute, who was comfortable with Lucca not being annexed by Florence (a plausible outcome if the Florentines won the war).