Bugnano is a tiny collection of completely abandoned houses, just outside the village of Riolo. There is no sign to the village, just an overgrown track at a bend in the road.
I have heard that the village was abandoned after WWII when the residents went off in search of a better life. A few years ago an English company planned to restore it and turn it into holiday accommodation, but their plans came to nothing. It may be too far gone now to do anything. The forest is taking over.
It is quite sad to see these ruined houses. Somebody once loved them. Some touches of home remain.
One house must have been very grand in its day.
The kitchen sink is still there.
And the place where the fireplace would have been.
What must have been the living room has some frescoes remaining.
The front room has great views over the mountains.
Soon the forest may take over completely.
Even the mushrooms growing near the big house look dark and sinister.
Somebody has camped in one of the houses recently.
Do you know anyone with lots of money and some imagination? Wouldn’t it be great to see the village live again?
Teri Giannetti has kindly sent some extra photos of Bugnano.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 
I have been hoping for that for many years. There actually were some residents living there when rumors of the grand plans for a resort started flying. The few remaining residents were bought out by the company who eventually realized the inpractical nature of their endeavor. Sad that they didn’t think in a less grandiose way and just set about restoring what was once a charming a medieval village. Perhaps a visionary with tons of cash will come along one day?
It would need to happen soon. How much longer will the buildings remain standing?
wish I had the money to restore one of those houses with affrescoes!!
It would be wonderful to see Bugnano live again.
Dear Ms. Kolkka,
I believe my father (who I never saw since three years old) left a home in Bugnano. I want to research this since I would inherit….I am an only child. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if I could get “the village started” again in my retirement age.
Hope to hear from you.
Teri Giannetti
You should start with the comune in Bagni di Lucca. The village was sold some time ago to a company who did nothing with it, so I don’t know how that would affect you. It would be great to see the village live again. I didn’t see all of it as I was unaware of the size of the village. I will go back early next year to find the rest of the buildings.
Thank you much for your ideas. I have family there and hope to visit next year. I will check things out and let you know if anything every becomes of it.
Love what you are doing!!!!
Teri
Hello
If the information I was given is correct, this was my grandfather’s house. I too have pictures of the fresco and the blue walls from 20 years ago. Please get in touch if you’d like. Valerie at vraimonde@gmail.com
i wish it were us,, imagination is no problem the money is !!!!
Money is usually the problem.
Very cool. Would love to go shoot there.
It would make a great setting for a movie.
My family used to live there before I was born and my sister in law family lived there, her father was the last person to leave the pleace in the 70’s. Actually the British company sold ti to a dutch company and they bought the last properties, but it seems to be only on hold……
Let’s hope something happens here.
Nice project…
A nice project for someone else.
Oh how sad! It would be so wonderful to have it restored!
We just need to find someone with vision…and money.
I love those frescoes. You never know-someone with very deep pockets may see your post and take up his project!
That would be great.
Very sad that the lives of the residents of long ago are entangled in the vines and brush. I am sure they homes all held tons of memories for their owners. Ahhh…to be a ga-zillionaire!
Maybe the descendants of some of the owners could get together and rebuild.
It is very sad, perhaps ITaly has so many treasures that it is impossible to save them all. I still wish that a project to restore the village will go ahead.
With a bit of luck someone will come along to save Bugnano.
Glad you could make it there Debra. It IS very sad to see Bugnano in its present condition. But, as mentioned above, there are so many deserted villages in Ital,y especially in remote areas of the south where there really IS very little money. The problem is that Tuscany is a relatively well-off area compared with other regions with the highest income from tourism. So if it can’t get together on Bugnano this bodes very badly for other regions. At the same time speculative (and all to often illegal) building is rampant in most parts of Italy. Why new build instead of historic restoration? I would also add that there is a second category of abandoned villages in this area,especially in Garfagnana – that is the “alpeggi” – villages that used to be occupied only in the summer by shepherds grazing their cattle in the high pastures. I have visited several of these practically all only reachable by often long trekking. Some of these villages still have little churches which are well-maintained thanks to still surviving religious feelings. I would hate to think what would happen if these religious feelings disappeared forever for they help to maintain some out-of-the way chapels and shrines even in our area. Incidentally, our present mayor of Bagni di Lucca, Dottor Betti, has set a fine example bybuying up and restoring the abandoned village of pian di Fiume. It is now thriving as a holiday destination and for hosting a variety events from feste to weddings.
I have seen Dottore Betti’s little village.It is lovely….just what needs to happen at Bugnano.
This was so interesting. I spent 2 weeks in Riolo this past June and I know the bend in the road well. I’m so sorry I didn’t know to take a walk down the pathway to Bugnano.
You will have to come back.
It is great that you have some of the memory of this old town on here. The pictures of the frescoes are very nice.
There is apparently more of the village i didn’t find. I will have to return when I go back to Italy.
I just spent absolutely ages reading your beautiful blog. I haven’t been around Tuscany at all and you just showed me what I am missing out on – I definitely will try to visit Bagni di Lucca the next time I go to Italy.
Tuscany is one of the most beautiful areas in all of Italy. I hope you do come to visit Bagni di Lucca one day soon.
buonanotte
Sono dal Brasile e sto cercando di saperne di più della storia dei miei nonni e bisnonni e la mia famiglia in generale.
Sono venuti in Brasile oara immigrazione e come io conosco sono i Bagni di Lucca, regione Bugnano’ll mettere un po ‘del mio albero che so
Nonna – Settima Gianneti bernardi
Bisnonno – Rinaldi Bernardi
Nonno – Enrico Bernardi
Mi chiedo se ho ancora parenti e come il blog dice loro residenza devono rimanere tali;
César Augusto
We have just come back from a short holiday in Riolo, which is a lovely place itself, although it felt a little like a ghost village, becuase there seemed to be only 2-3 houses occupied while we were there. We came upon Bugnano by chance and we were fascinated – it’s a bit like something out of an Indiana Jones film! I think the ruins are very romantic as they are, and exciting because you don’t know if you you might dislodge a wooden beam or a stone and have the whole lot fall on you (in the UK you would not be allowed near it!). Personally I like the ruins of Buganano as they are, but I am happy to see that some houses in Riolo are being restored, so that Riolo will not go the same way. Thank you Debra, we have really enjoyed reading your blog, with best wishes from Joanna and Austin Leask.
Just spent over a week in Riolo with my aunt in the home she was born. There were more people when we were there in early September. In fact, there was a festival one Saturday night and 180 came to celebrate..pizza and dessert! Truly glad Riolo is being rejuvenated.
Bugnano was my father’s village. I went in (yes, you weren’t suppose to….) and took great pics. Someone teach me how to post on this site and I’ll share. Not on FB….Teri Giannetti
Hi Teri, I have just been contacted by a guy in Brazil who descends from Giannetti from Bugnano. Perhaps you can help him solve his ancestry questions. Cheers
teri, va bene, Io sono nipote italiana e vorrei sapere di più sulla mia famiglia.
Vorrei sapere se qualcuno può aiutarmi a trovare PERSONE che possono far parte della mia famiglia.
MIO NONNO E LA SUA FAMIGLIA è venuto fuori per il Brasile MA IMMIGRAZIONE. Metterò il nome di qualche ANZIANI sapere che HA FATTO PARTE DELLA MIA FAMIGLIA albero.
NICOLE Gianetti PADRE DELLA NONA
ADELIA Nicolli Gianetti – MADRE DEL NONO
Fratelli della Nona
AMATO Gianetti – CHICAGO
PRIMA Gianetti
GUIDO Gianetti
PAOLINO
MARIANA – CORDOBA ARGENTINA
Il mio Bisa. Settima Gianetti Bernardi
Il mio Biso Rinaldi Bernardi
Mio nonno. Enrico Bernardi
Essi risiedevano a Bagni di Lucca, Se qualcuno è a conoscenza della famiglia o Gianetti Bernardi mi consiglia di tenersi in contatto.
grazie
César Augusto Alves
Hi Teri
I showed my mother (whose family is from Monti di Villa) this page in Debra’s blog and my mother asked me to post this to you:
“Awesome pics. Who is Teri Giannetti? Did she send them? We (My original family) knew Giannetti’s who lived in Amherst, Mass. They had 2 sons—Vincent, who was married to Deedee, and Arthur (don’t know his wifes name nor childrens) Vinny was a little older than me & I think Arthur was about my age.
Any relations to Teri? ”
Please respond if you can – thanks
Valerie
Riolo is a lovely village and there are quite a few people living there. I’m sure it won’t become another Bugnano. Thank you Joanna and Austin for your kind comments.
Thank you Teri for the extra photos of Bugnano.
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Teri…. Minha bisavó era Settima Giannetti. Será que existe parentesco com vc.
We went there today. It’s fascinating. Tried to imagine what the village was like.
It is sad they the forest is taking over.
Visited about 15 years ago with Giovanni Giambastiani , Peter Donald and Robert McTavish , astounded with the Frescos and the mental picture of what the big house would look like in its prime . ( also seen our first Snake in the grassy surrounds ) remember seeing a number of old properties being renovated at the side of the river !
It is a few years since I visited the village. No doubt the forest has taken over even more.
Wonderful photos. I’ve been to riolo and fully missed the buildings. I wonder if your contributor Terry Giannetti is a relative of mine. My grandfather was Gregorio Giannetti and left for America in 1912. If so, pass on my contact information. Keep up the good work …great article.
Terry may see this comment, I hope so. Some friends went to visit Bugnano a few days ago and found that there has been more disintegration.
Thank you for your comments. I have been writing the blog for several years now.
Hello Debra and “Buongiorno a tutti!”
I am writing to say first of all how delighted I was to find your blog – it brings back so many wonderful memories.
Secondly, I wanted to let you know more about what happened in the 1980’s with regards to the development of Bugnano, having met an estate agent in a local restaurant back then. We enjoyed a wonderful holiday in Bagni di Lucca, staying at the Albergo Bernabo, with its beautiful views over the river, enjoying delicious dinners at the restaurant down the hill, and buying enormous slices of panettone for breakfast from a very kind lady in the town. We made a visit to Bugnano when staying in Bagni di Lucca and absolutely fell in love with it. I remember being told there were 45 houses in total, plus a large villa and a ‘haunted house’! We have never forgotten our happy holiday in the area and wish to convey our very best regards, especially at these difficult times.
As you can imagine, it must have been a very big project to take on and there was no proper road access to the site, which would have made things difficult. We heard that the developers had met with an architect, surveyor and the estate agent, and applied for planning permission from the mayor, but progress was very slow. Then a problem was discovered – one of the houses was still occupied and the owner would not sell. This was a big problem for the developers. However, the plans progressed and the architect and surveyor had to be paid for their work. All of this took several years! Then disaster struck: one of the developers was taken seriously ill, and was told to retire on health grounds. The estate agent, who kept in touch with us, managed to find a buyer for the village and I believe that company was the German-Swiss holiday resort company Hapimag, a well-regarded company who had already successfully developed some ancient farms in the area. I don’t know what happened after that, but I’m very sad to see that Bugnano is still in ruins, and hope that it can be saved. It’s a very special place, and I think it would be lovely for those who still have connections to the village. With very best wishes to you, and thank you for your wonderful work!
Thank you for the story of Bugnano. I had heard there was an attempt to buy the village and restore it, but not the whole story.
I think it is now too far gone to restore, which is a pity. I hate to see these villages die.
I hope you come back one day.
I have another blog called Bagni di Lucca and Beyond which covers my travel, mostly in Italy.
Thank you Debra. I hope so too!
We went there last year and yes it was quite sad to see
It is such a pity it is falling apart.
Hello
The house with the fresco and the blue walls was my grandfather’s, if the information I was told is correct. What a great find this was to stumble across on the internet.
Valerie
How wonderful to recognise your grandfather’s house. It is such a pity that this village was left to crumble.
Yes – quite a find, Debra – glad you posted it. Also, the yellow house in Monti di Villa is my grandmother’s house. It’s fun and interesting to research
vestirvocemoda
You say you will be able to recover your house? What do you mean? How?
I wonder if you might research your family through church records. Chiesa di Santa Maria e San Donato. Or grave records
A casa do meu avô tb está ai…. henrique Bernatdi…. filho de Settima Gianetti Bernardi se alguem conhcer algum amigo ou parente.. gostaria de.conhecer
Henrique Bernardi
Nossa casa esta ai…sera que temos como recupera.la
You say you will be able to recover your house? What do you mean? How?
I wonder if you might research your family through church records. Chiesa di Santa Maria e San Donato. Or grave records