Summer is almost with us and soon the Bagni di Lucca Art Festival will begin. Saturday evening saw an exhibition at La Rondine Gallery…just a taste of things to come.
It’s great to see people come out and join in the fun.
Take a look at Bagni di Lucca Art Festival for the programme.
It is no secret that Paolo is one of my favourite Bagni di Luccans. We were all saddened and worried when we learned of his recent accident.
I can happily report that he is back at work and on the mend. His back brace will stay on a bit longer, and he looks a bit battered and bruised, but he should make a full recovery.
Drop in to Catene Cafe in Fornoli and wish him well…and have a coffee or one of his delicious gelati.
Welcome back Paolo.
We have an excellent enoteca in La Villa. Nonsolovino sells a great selection of wine, both local and from other places in the world.
Guido, the delightful owner, has a wonderful knowledge of the wines he carries and will help you choose the right one for you.
There is lots to choose from.
Nonsolovino also carries delicious olive oil, jam, honey and other locally produced goodies.
Drop in and say hello to Guido and I’m sure you will leave with something delicious.
Don’t forget to go to Italy Magazine and take a look at the 2 posts about Bagni di Lucca that have made the shortlist in the Blog Awards.
Click here to go to the voting page. The posts are in the Best Single Living in Italy Post and Best Single Travel Post. It all helps to promote our lovely village.
We have a delightful man at Ponte a Serraglio who takes care of the wild ducks on the river. Until recently we also had a white duck and a goose. The duck has been around as long as I have been coming to the village, but he died not long ago, leaving just the goose.
Fortunately he has Alighiero to make sure he is not lonely.
I hope you all have at least one good friend like Alighiero. Have a happy and healthy 2014…see you in Bagni di Lucca one day soon.
Panettone is a sweet bread prepared all over Italy for Christmas. Making the bread is a lengthy process, with the dough taking days to cure. The bread contains candied orange, citron, lemon zest and raisins.
Luckily for us, making panettone is not necessary. Annalisa makes very delicious panettone at Il Monaco in Ponte a Serraglio.
You will have to be quick, there are only so many she can make.
Due Ponti is an excellent fashion shop in La Villa. It has been operating for over 50 years, a sure sign they are doing things well.
Meet Anna (right) and Elena who are there with great advice and assistance with your purchases.
The shop carries a good range of quality fashion for women.
Look for Due Ponti in La Villa at Via Umberto I, 20/22/23…near the post office. Say hello to Anna and Elena.
When I arrived in Ponte a Serraglio last week I was very disappointed to learn that the Barber Shop has closed.
I used to love watching the men lined up there every day for a chat and a haircut or shave.
I don’t know how long Valter had been there, providing what I thought was an essential service in the village, but I think it is quite a while.
He has retired to spend his time enjoying his other interests, including his art.
Apparently Valter tried to find someone to take over, but nobody was interested. In these times of under employment I am surprised and disappointed about this.
Valter, you will be missed.
Click here to see an earlier, and happier post about Valter.
Mario Lena is Bagni di Lucca’s very own poet. He was born in Bagni di Lucca in 1925 and came to poetry later in life. He trained as a scientist and was a mathematics teacher in Lucca.
He was mayor of Bagni di Lucca in the 1960s.
On Saturday 5th October there was an event at the Teatro Accademico to celebrate Signore Lena’s latest book of poetry and prose.
There was a large crowd at the theatre and Signore Lena was joined on the stage by several people who spoke at length about the poet and his work.
Signore Lena also spoke and recited several of his poems to a very enthusiastic audience.
I’m sure his latest book is going to be very popular.
Here is one of Mario Lena’s poems about Bagni di Lucca.
Le Cinque Finestre
Sopra le acque del Lima
le case.
Sopra le antiche case
le colline.
Sopra i rami delle colline
le nuvole dell’Appennino.
Sopra le nuvole
la gente
a reggere questo cielo
e la sua confortevole civilta.
The hills around Bagni di Lucca are very popular with cyclists. This little group took the time to wave to me on my balcony.
No self respecting Italian cyclist would leave home without the right clothing.
Bagni di Lucca has a long history of making figurines from Plaster of Paris, or gesso, as it is called here. The tradition began in the 13th century when people from Bagni di Lucca started going to France to sell their silk and they became intrigued by the use of Plaster of Paris to make mortuary masks.
They experimented with it, as the soft alabaster, one of the main ingredients to make that type of plaster, was abundant in the area. They realised it would be possible to make inexpensive religious statues by making moulds and filling them with plaster…much cheaper than the usual carved marble or stone.
The figurines became very popular, as not everybody could afford a Della Robbia, or other original for their home or church. Presepi, or nativity scenes were big sellers and salesmen from the area would travel far and wide selling their wares.
I was very lucky to be able to see one of the last producers of figurines in Bagni di Lucca, and the only one who still makes his statues by hand. Meet Simone from Arte Barsanti.
The business was started by Simone’s great-grandfather in 1900. At its peak there were 60 people employed. Now it is just Simone with some helpful advice from his uncle Carmelo.
The little factory is a treasure trove of figurines, moulds and paraphernalia from years of work.
Simone took us through the process of making a figurine. First the mould is prepared.
The plaster powder is mixed with water until it is the consistency of yoghurt.
Then is poured into the prepared mould and shaken to get out as many air bubbles as possible.
The statue is then left to cure for about 20 minutes. If the figurines are under 30cm high they are solid plaster. If they are bigger than that they are hollow to save on plaster and to make them less heavy.
Once out of the mould, the figurines are finished by hand to remove any rough patches and fill any small imperfections.
They are then fired in the wood fired oven room.
The next step is to hand paint each figurine. The flesh coloured parts are spray painted first.
The rest is painted with brushes of varying sizes.
We were taken to the top floor where there is a little museum with some of the history of the business.
There is a photo of a recent Pope receiving a Barsanti figurine.
…and some old presepi, including one in a pumpkin.
…some old accounting equipment.
Best of all was an old suitcase which the travelling salesmen would take around the country to display their wares.
There is a delightful story that when Christopher Columbus arrived in America the first person he saw was a fellow from Lucca with a suitcase full of presepi for him to choose from.
We were given a beautiful presepio to take with us…my first…thank you Simone and Carmelo for a wonderful visit.
I really hope this wonderful tradition can be kept alive in Bagni di Lucca.
info@artebarsanti.it
39 0583 87882
