Our lovely friend Agostino took us for a drive to Cune, a gorgeous village above Borgo a Mozzano, just a few kilometres from Bagni di Lucca.
We drove through olive trees and grapevines and then through wonderful chestnut forests on our way past Cune and up the hill to the Chiesa and Romitorio di San Bartolomeo. It was a misty, rainy day, which made the drive even more beautiful.
We parked the car beside the road and walked a small distance to the collection of ancient buildings.
The stone buildings are well preserved and the area is well tended. The church was begun in the 12th century and completed in the 12th or 13th century with the addition of an apse.
This doorway is tiny.
There is an old oven in one of the buildings.
…and some interesting old stones.
Mushrooms are growing well near the buildings. The first one was enormous and seemed to be growing from the side of a building. The others were a normal size.
Further up the mountain are the remains of an old signal tower, called “The eye of Lucca”. It was an early warning system for the area. On a fine day we will investigate.
On the way home we had an excellent view of the Ponte Maddalena from above.
There is a never ending supply of fascinating things to discover in the Bagni di Lucca area.
Thank you Agostino for a great day.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 
What a beautiful photographs on your walking path… Fascinating me this lovely Bagni di Lucca, Thank you dear Debra, Love, nia
Despite the rain, it was a beautiful day.
We have visited the village of Cune but never made it up to the Chiesa – as usual we didn’t allow enough time. If you continue on up to Mt Bargiglio we believe the views are spectacular.
I have yet to investigate Cune, so we both need to go back.
Nice pics. You can also read my post mentioning the same subject at http://longoio.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/happy-hermits/
Thanks Francis for the extra information. It is a very interesting place.
Francis,
Thank you for showing the observatory, I must visit and possibly tour the inside. On my spare time I am also a archaeological ufologist. I remember as a child how clear and crystalline the sky was, perfect location for a clear view of the cosmos. Thank you for that wonderful revelation and insight.
Regards,
Roland
Another beautiful place to visit. By the way, for those with limited Italian, “romitorio” means hermitage and I cannot imagine a better place for those seeking peace and solitude for a life devoted to prayer and meditation. Great pictures, Debra!
Thank you for the “Romitorio” explanation. I thought it meant hermitage, but I wasn’t sure.
Very nice!
Exquisite photos, what beautiful vegetation,a perfect location for an individual to seek peace and inner tranquility. Great photos Debra.
There are many wonderful things to discover in our area.
I was with Debra and Agostino on that day, which turned out wonderful in every way – the stunning drive up the mountain shrouded in swirling mists and drizzling rain, the seclusion of the centuries –
old stone structures, the sense of sacred space and the beauty of the chestnut trees surrounding the area makes exploring San Bartolomeo extra special. Thank you, Agostino, for taking us there!
Nice pictures in the rain!
Thank you Debra for your great information on the Bagni di Lucca area. We are on a home exchange in Ponte di Serraglio for 1 month and are enjoying the amazing villages up unbelievably twisting narrow roads, where the effort is always worth it. Loved the English cemetry which was fortunately in full sun when we visited – such beautiful restoration work. We are fully utilising the great Bar Italia which is only a couple of hundred metres from our apartment. We have walked up and around the Terme, right up to Colle and onto the Alpini Church, then down through Corsena, La Villa and back home, all in glorious weather if rather cool – minus 6 one morning.
We live near Byron Bay in Oz and wanted to escape the summer heat and humidity which we certainly have !!
I am in Brisbane in the summer heat! I won’t be in Bagni di Lucca until early March. I can’t wait. I hope you have a wonderful time in our little part of Italy.