Last year I went on several guided walks organised by the Comune and they were excellent. It is great to know they will be happening again this summer. It is a delightful way to discover more about the beautiful villages that make up Bagni di Lucca.
The groups are restricted to 10 people and last year were well attended so book early by calling 335 5821084. The guided walks are free and the commentary is in Italian.
The Albergo Corona, in conjunction with Fiorenzo Consulting and our wonderful local historian Virgilio Contrucci, is organising guided walks to discover the history of Bagni di Lucca.
The first one will be about the Grand Tour, a time when English people came to Bagni di Lucca as part of their travel to Italy. There will be 2 walks in this category. The first walk will be on 13th June and the second 1st August leaving the Corona Hotel at 9.30am. The cost of €40 will include a light lunch at the Corona Hotel at the conclusion of the walk. The commentary will be in Italian with English translation.
The second history walk will be about aristocrats and artists who helped shape Bagni di Lucca. There will be 2 walks in this category, the first on 19th June and the second on 1st August beginning at 9.30am. The €40 cost will include a light lunch at the Corona Hotel at the conclusion of the walk. The commentary will be in Italian with English translation.
The third group of walks will be about Puccini who spent some time in Bagni di Lucca during his career. The first walk will be on 26th June, the second on 24th July and the third on 15th August, all beginning at the 5.00pm. The guided walk will be followed by apericena at the Corona Hotel. The commentary will be in Italian with English translation.
The fourth group of walks will be in Montefegatesi, the first on 17th July and the second on 25th August at 5.00pm. Participants will gather at the Corona Hotel to be driven in a small bus to Montefegatesi where the walk will begin. The walks will conclude with aperitivo in the shadow of the Dante Alighieri monument at the top of beautiful Montefegatesi, the highest village in Bagni di Lucca.
All walks will take approximately 3 hours. To make further enquires or to book a tour please call 0583 923762 or email LaCorona.bookings@outlook.com
The beautiful pool in Bagni di Lucca will open Saturday 5th June for the summer.
We are very lucky to have an excellent new shop in La Villa, Bonta Toscane, that sells local produce.
The shop is well stocked with a great selection of cheese, fresh pasta, honey, olive oil and much more…all locally produced.
I was delighted with my purchases yesterday and will happily become a regular shopper there. I encourage everyone to shop local, especially when it is as good as this.
Tuscany became a yellow zone this week which means that bars and restaurants are open for outside dining. The last year has been very tough indeed for businesses.
Yesterday, for the first time in a while I enjoyed lunch away from home and it was excellent. With a couple of friends I sat on the outdoor terrace at Circolo dei Forestieri. It was great to see the well spaced tables full and the smiling faces (under masks) of the friendly servers.
We need to support our local businesses to help them back on their feet. Let’s hope this spring and summer will see us come slowly out from under the covid disaster.
The bad news is that Bagni di Lucca will be a red zone from Wednesday 24th March. At this stage it is just for 4 days, but I think it will go on longer and roll into the total Easter lockdown…we will see.
This is the latest map of the zones in Italy.
Within the orange zones there are small red zones.
The good news is that the SS Brennero is open at Borgo a Mozzano, pity we can’t go anywhere. Top marks to the workers who did this huge and dangerous job to clear the landslide.
Bring on the vaccine.
This beautiful bridge is on the road to Fabbriche di Vergemoli from Bagni di Lucca. It leads to an old mill.
It was built in the 1400s and restored in 2011.
It crosses a narrow stream.
There are signs up indicating that it is now a centre for outdoor activities, but it seems to be closed now,
It is worth a short stop to cross the bridge and look around…when we can move around more freely. There are many treasures in our area.
I had an appointment recently in Borgo a Mozzano and had a bit of time to spare so I walked to the Ponte della Maddalena or Devil’s Bridge as it is commonly known. We can’t drive past the bridge on the usual route to Bagni di Lucca right now because of road damage in 2 places.
I walked to the top of the bridge to see the spectacle views from up there.
I could also see the huge landslide that has closed the road near the bridge completely. Work is progressing to clear it.
If you look closely at the photo below you can see a digger of some kind working on the slope. I hope it is secured in some way. There were also 2 men walking near the top of the landslide…dangerous work indeed.
It looks as though it might be a while before the road is open.
Ann Barsi is working on a new edition of the 2012 edition of Pieve di Controne, a book by Elio Carlotti on the history of the village. The 2012 edition, which was actually the second print, sold almost all 500 copies. The book sale proceeds help the Pieve parish and those looking for their Pieve roots.
This edition would like to include more family pages, so anyone with a story to tell is encouraged to take a page in the book. It helps to make the book more personal with individual stories of the village and interesting tales of descendants’ lives, past and present.The Family Page could be your own family story, a family tree, photos and stories of life in the village.
Here are some examples of family pages.
You can help in 3 ways, pre-order the book, buy a Family Page or donate any amount.The books will cost €25 and a Family Page is €150.
For more information please contact Ann Barsi…abarsi@verizon.net
Today was glorious in Bagni di Lucca. I went for a walk from Ponte a Serraglio to Fornoli to make the most of the warm sunshine.
I think we will have rain again tomorrow…all the more reason to get out and enjoy the winter sun when it shines.
