World's Beautiful Landscapes.: Guinigi Tower Crowned With Oak Trees

Guinigi Tower Crowned With Oak Trees

The Guinigi Tower located in Lucca, a beautiful and historic city located in Tuscany, Italy. The Guinigi Tower, which shows the greatness of one of the most famous and richest families of Lucca. Guinigi Tower is one of the few towers left standing in the city and one of the most representative monuments of Lucca. Throughout its history up to 250 towers and many bell towers were built as monuments to the rivalry between different factions in the Middle Ages. And some of these relics arrived until today, despite its turbulent past. As the Guinigi Tower, which today has become an essential point to watch the walled city. It stands majestically at 44.25 meters and with total 225 steps, with an unusual group of oaks on top, trees symbolize the Renaissance. The palace of the same name which belonged to Michele, Francesco and Nicolao Guinigi.

Torre Guinigi. Photo credit David Jones

The Tower is Romanesque and Gothic style and one of the main attractions of Lucca. The tower was built in brick and decorated with shields, cornices and slabs. The tower at the corner of Via San Andrea stands out among all the buildings of the city by the trees growing at the top. Among the medieval towers, belonging to private and richest families, it is the only one that has not been severed or destroyed in the sixteenth century. At the top of the tower is the original hanging garden, which consists of a container filled with earth walls, in which seven oaks were planted. There is no any historical record when the garden was created, but an old image collection of the 14 century shows that among the many towers of Lucca, was a crowned trees. It is assumed, therefore, that the plant Guinigi Tower is very old even if the oaks present today were definitely replanted in time. A true distinctive symbol of the city of Lucca. Today the tower is owned by the City of Lucca. People enjoy the views shelter shade of the oaks, admiring the jewels of Lucca from above.