At the end of winter I visited the enchanted chestnut forest on the outskirts of Montefegatesi. See the post HERE. It looked stunning even then and I couldn’t wait to return in spring to see it green and lush.
The road into forest is delightful in spring with wild flowers lining the road.
There are a few reminders of the days when chestnuts were farmed seriously. It must have been a hard life, but the beautiful workplace would have helped the workers get through the day.
The trees are the stars on this drive, or even better, walk.
I’m sure the forest is a cool sanctuary in the heat of the summer.
I look forward to my autumn visit when I return later this year.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 
We’re going to be in the area soon, it’s been a while, so really looking forward to it! Thanks for your write-ups about Bagni di Lucca!
I hope you enjoy your visit. I enjoy sharing Bagni di Lucca with the world.
One day I will do that walk
It is beautiful.
A cool sanctuary, I’m sure….
It is a lovely place to be.
😊
How lucky we are to be able to enjoy this beautiful nature without seeing it as our source of survival. It was not long before my lifetime that farina di castagne was the basis for the daily sustenance. Even up to the early 60s, the metati were used to dry the all important chestnuts. I remember very well when these villages were completely agricultural and hard work was the only way to survive. Times have certainly changed.
It is a different world. I am happy that some of the forests still exist.
As you rightly say, an enchanted forest.
Bagni di Lucca has many wonderful places to visit.
Gorgeous pictures. My brother’s good friend in Italy told me about the importance of chestnuts for his family during WWII and how they saved his family during the winter. His grandfather never wanted to eat chestnuts after that.
I can quite understand not wanting to eat chestnuts when that was all you had for years. I went the other way, I didn’t like them at all when I first tried them but I have developed a taste for them.
Stunning! I wonder how old those trees are…