Only one of the two towers sprouting from the top of the 14th-century palace, home of Lucca's iron-fisted ruling family, still stands, but it certainly grabs your attention. Historians tell us that many of Lucca's towers once had little gardens like this on top -- the city was civilized even in its defenses -- but that doesn't diminish the delight at your first glance at this stack of bricks 44m (144 ft.) high with a tiny forest of holm oaks overflowing the summit. For a closer look, climb the 230 steps for a spectacular view of Lucca's skyline with the snowcapped Apuan Alps and the Garfagnana in the distance. Up here, you can also see the oval imprint the Roman amphitheater left on the medieval buildings of Piazza Anfiteatro.