The Guinigi Tower ( Torre Guinigi ) is a brick medieval tower in the city of Lucca, in the Tuscany region, Italy. An example of local Romanesque-Gothic architecture.
Located on the corner of Via Sant’Andrea and Via delle Chiavi D’Oro, the tower rises 44.25 meters above the ground, making it different from all the other buildings in the old town. Reaching the top is made possible by 25 flights of stairs – with a total of 230 steps. The tower is easy to climb in the first part, but not in the last part, where you can climb further only thanks to smaller metal ramps. Numerous paintings depicting scenes of medieval life hang on the inner walls. From above you can see the city center, Piazza Anfiteatro and the landscape of the surrounding mountains, the Apuan Alps to the north-west, the Apennines to the north-east and Monte Pisano to the south.
The tower and the palace to which it adjoins were built by the Guinigi family at the end of the 14th century. Trees on the roof were planted already in the Middle Ages. The last member of the family bequeathed the palace along with the tower to the city.
Access : Coordinates: 43.84371, 10.50701 / It is accessible by via Sant’Andrea, at 45.
Highlights :
- The hanging garden : At the top of the tower there is a small hanging garden consisting of a wall box filled with soil in which seven holm oaks have been planted.
- This Tuscan tower house, one of the few remaining inside the city, is one of the most representative monuments of Lucca. Its main characteristic is the presence of a hanging garden at its top.
- The tower has been donated by the last heiress of the Guinigi family to the city of Lucca.
Go next : Lucca ,capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany.
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