A little chapel

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

On the road into Ponte a Serraglio (SS Brennero) there is a little chapel…just in front of the parked silver car on the left.

I have driven and walked past it for years and have never noticed it until recently.

It is is reasonable condition.

It looks quite pretty from the front.

There is a semicircular seat in the front, a nice place to rest before visiting the chapel.

The interior is well kept.

Beside it is a ruin…a wall and a set of steps. I wonder what that was.

Does anyone know anything about the chapel?

Then and now…Elisa Baciocchi’s house

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon’s sister, liked to spend her summers in Bagni di Lucca, where the air was cooler and fresher than in Lucca.

She had the road from Lucca upgraded and built a house above La Villa in 1811.

It is still there and in quite good condition. I think it has been converted to apartments.

It is good to see one of the old buildings being looked after.

David’s Doors

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

David Collins, engineer and project manager in Tuscany, has a passion for old doors. (He wrote the book reviewed in the previous post).

He tries to imagine how busy they must have been in a past life. He is fascinated by tell-tale signs like worn marble thresholds below the opening leaf of the door or perhaps two grooves in correspondence with the wheels of a cart below stable doors, or an old horse ring on the wall left untouched since before the war.

He has put together a short video of some of the photos he has collected over time.

Click here to see his lovely photos of wonderful old doors.

Autumn in San Cassiano

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

San Cassiano is a beautiful village at any time, but in autumn it is especially lovely. Photographer and resident Paul Anthony Davies has been out and about with his camera…with excellent results.

The cross below was blown down from the church in the high winds in March and is now making a statement on the ground.

The weather has been unseasonably warm in November, causing confusion with some of the bulbs, which have appeared at the wrong time.

Thank you Paul, for taking us on an autumn tour of San Cassiano.

The park in La Villa

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

The lovely park in La Villa was devastated earlier this year when a tornado ripped through it, tearing up several of the old trees. Some were hundreds of years old.

The mess has been cleaned up, but it looks a bit bare.

I have heard there have been fund raising efforts to collect money to help rehabilitate the park. I look forward to seeing the results. It will be great to see some new trees planted.

Click here, here and here to see the park after the tornado.