I’m still on my August writing break, taking a bit of a vacation prior to returning to Italy later this month. So, just a few words today with lots of photos of a subject that always makes me smile - Italian doors. More specifically, the ornate and artistic door knockers, most of them brass, that adorn so many of the doors in Lucca and throughout Italy.

I seem to have a million (ok, that may be a slight exaggeration) photos of Italian door knockers and old-style doorbells. Here are some of my favorites, most all were taken in Lucca.

Animals are a common theme, particularly lions

The ones depicting faces are always interesting. Some look more Egyptian than Italian. And some are a little scary looking!

Some door knockers aren’t animals or faces at all - just beautiful shapes with graceful scrolls, twists, and curves.

The old style doorbells are no less interesting. The very oldest are simple pull knobs. More recent (but still vintage) ones are brass plates with buzzers along side the occupants names. It is still a thrill for me to have one with my very own name.