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Guinigi Tower
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The
unmissable Guinigi Tower, with its oak trees growing out of
the top, is one of the most striking sights in the city.
Built of stone and brick and 45 meters high, it is located
between the privately owned medieval towers; it is the only
survivor of the city’s sixteenth century architecture, when
all the towers were torn down or damaged. The Tower stands
at the corner of Via Sant'Andrea and Via delle Chiavi D'Oro
and is undoubtedly one of the strangest and unmistakable
sights of Lucca. |
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 Adjacent to it is a fourteenth century
building, named after its owners Michele and Francesco
Guinigi, rich merchants and bankers of Lucca. This type of
tower was designed to highlight the importance of the family
owner, as well for defensive purposes. From the top they
could throw or propel projectiles towards rival families or
fellow citizens and/or their property nearby. Built
closely around the towers were houses for the members of the
family’s coterie, often with their own parish church. The
entire complex, as is evident in this street, served as a
compact urban retreat, whose narrow streets could easily be
barricaded and defended. The great artist and Victorian art
critic, John Ruskin, compared the Guinigi Tower’s beauty to
several other notable Italian towers "The Guinigi here,
Verona and the bell tower, and St. Mark's are all extremely
beautiful."
 Over time the tower, along with the city walls, has become a
distinctive symbol of Lucca. With 230 steps, the panorama is
worth the small effort; from here you will have views of the
city, the Apuan Alps in the distance and the distinctive
circular outline of the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro.
Info
Jan – Feb: 9:30-16:30
Mar: 9:30-17:30
Apr – May: 9:30-18:30
June – Sept: 9:30-19:30
Oct: 9:30-17:30
Nov – Dec: 9:30-16:30
25/12 Closed
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