Lucca Wall Gate
We saw Rick Steves’ PBS show covering Lucca just days before we left home and thought it
would be so neat to climb the tower with the trees growing on top, known as Guinigi Tower.
And here we are, climbing it!
Guinigi was the easiest tower to climb of the whole trip. The best thing about tower climbing is the views. Land in walled cities comes at a premium so vertical utilization of space is common, especially roof-top decks and gardens. You can only see these delightful gardens from above. Below right is a roof garden with clever shades that pull out when desired.
Lucca Town Wall
Lucca built 2.5 miles of huge dirt walls around itself in the 16th century for protection from attack by Pisa and Florence. Invention of cannons made thin stone walls ineffective, so the walls around Lucca are cannon-proof: 100 feet of dirt faced with stone and bricks. Lucca was never attacked by armies after the wall was finished, but the wall did protect the city from a flooding river in the 1800s. Today, the wide, flat top of the wall is a lovely park where people can ride rented bikes and picnic under the huge old trees.
Sherry and Jack on Bicycle Built for Two
Lucca Door
Click below to watch languid Lucca (2:55)
