The Torre delle Ore or Torre dell'Orologio is a clock-tower or
turret clock
A turret clock or tower clock is a clock designed to be mounted high in the wall of a building, usually in a clock tower, in public buildings such as Church (building), churches, university buildings, and town halls. As a public amenity to enab ...
located on Via Fillungo in central
Lucca
Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...
, region of
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
, 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 (; named after St. Geminianus) is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Five Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the pr ...
. 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 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
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...
Buildings and structures in Lucca
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