The Torre delle Ore or Torre dell'Orologio is a clock-tower or turret clock located on Via Fillungo in central Lucca, region of Tuscany, Italy.

History

Medieval Lucca, like many medieval cities in Italy abounded with private towers, built for protection, exemplified best today by the remaining towers of

San Gimignano San Gimignano () is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of ...

. This tower, the tallest in Lucca, was acquired by the government in the 14th century, and in 1390, it was decided to house a clock. In Lucca, the nearby

Torre Guinigi The Torre Guinigi is a tower in Lucca, Tuscany, central Italy. It is a typical example of local Romanesque-Gothic architecture. The height of the tower is 45 meters with a total of 233 steps to reach the top. The tower dates from the 1300s, wh ...

with the scenographic tree-scape at the top is more visited. It is now owned by the Comune of Lucca. The present mechanism of the clock dates to the 18th-century. It is unclear what the face of the clock and the mechanism consisted in 1390. Earlier clock towers did have hour markings. In 2015, it is possible to climb to the tower and view the mechanism. There is a legend associated with a young woman who sold her soul to the devil, but was captured by the devil trying to stop the time of the clock.Comune of Lucca
entry on clock.

References

Ore Buildings and structures in Lucca {{Italy-palace-stub