Ducato di Lucca - birth records? HELP!!!

[raffygen]

I'm helping a friend to search for her great-great-grandfather Jose' (Giuseppe ?) Piani born in the Ducato di Lucca between 1840 and 1855.

She does not know exactly the date nor the village he was from. He just reported he was from the province of Lucca born around the 1850s when he got married in Uruguay. His parents names are Piani and Carmassi.

I tried the FHC microfilms but I don't know if I am doing the right thing.
Is Lucca included only for the years after 1849?
What about the previous years?

Any help in how to start is very appreciated.
Thanks,
Raffy

[arturo.c]

The Duchy of Lucca was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1847. Therefore all the registry documents after that year are to be found in the State Archives of Florence.

The same archive also holds the records pertaining to the census of 1841.