Photos: Francesco Tosoni, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 H005, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo credits
Photos: Francesco Tosoni, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 H005, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Lucca's hand-wound clock tower
Your local guide
Andrea Salvi
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Highlights
- A clock still wound by hand
- The tallest tower inside the walls
- A mechanism kept running for centuries
- A clock face read up close
- History still ticking today
About this tour
This session looks at Torre delle Ore, Lucca's tallest tower and home to a mechanical clock still wound by hand. You see the clock face up close, and the tower's full height against the town's rooftops. The camera stays fairly still throughout, since the mechanism is the real story here.
We spend most of the time on the clock and its winding mechanism, since that detail is easy to miss from the street. I explain how the tower earned its height record as we step back for the wider view.
It suits anyone with an interest in old mechanical systems still kept running today. It also pairs naturally with the Torre Guinigi session nearby.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Lucca before heading out.
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Clock face 15 min
The camera holds on Torre delle Ore's clock face, and I explain how the mechanism inside is still wound by hand rather than run electronically.
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Tower height 15 min
Stepping back, you see the tower's full height against the surrounding rooftops, still the tallest structure inside the walls.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Lucca: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Tordelli lucchesi (stuffed pasta) and San Frediano, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Lucca, showing you Clock face and Tower height live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Lucca live with my phone.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Fri 25 Dec · 8 seats left From 19,00 €
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