Within the Walls of Lucca, Lucca, Italy

Where to start? There was so much to see. We decided that while we still had the energy we would climb the Guinigi Tower one of the few remaining tower houses in Lucca.

The view from the top was stunning and we were grateful for the shade from the trees that surrounded us and the cool breeze that wafted through them. It is unusual to find trees growing on top of a tower and one theory for their presence is that it was a means of overcoming a law that private towers should not be higher than public towers.

We spotted another tower from our vantage point and decided we would take on that challenge. The Torre delle Ore or the Clock Tower is taller and narrower than the Guigini Tower and occasionally we had to stop and flatten ourselves against the side to let people coming down pass by.

At the top we found some bells and a good view of the Guinigi Tower surrounded by the palazzi of the powerful Guinigi family that once ruled Lucca.

This tower is the only medieval tower that has survived and it seems this survival is due to the fact it was a clock tower and kept time for the citizens of the time by tolling its bells.

It was in this tower where we first came across one of the legends surrounding a wealthy and beautiful inhabitant, Lucida Mansi, who was so proud of her flawless face she sold her soul to the devil to preserve them. When the devil arrived to collect his dues she failed in a desperate attempt to climb up to the clock face to turn back time. Emerging from the tower we realised we were on the famous shopping street of the town, Via Fillungo, and decided that we had time to stroll along it but not for any serious shopping although the old-fashioned exteriors of some of the shops were very inviting. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).