Ponte delle Catene, Fornoli

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

The beautiful Ponte delle Catene in Fornoli was commissioned by the Duke of Lucca, Charles Louis de Bourbon, to replace an earlier bridge (built in the 1300s) which was washed away in a flood in 1836.

The chain suspension bridge crosses the Lima River from Fornoli to the little piazza in Chifenti. It is now a pedestrian bridge.

Architect Lorenzo Nottolini was sent to England to study suspension bridges there. The bridge was begun in 1844 and completed in 1860, making it one of the first suspension bridges in Italy.

The road section of the bridge was destroyed in WWII and was rebuilt in 1950.

It looks very majestic, especially in the early evening light.

The views from the bridge are spectacular.

…looking up river towards Ponte a Serraglio.

…looking down river towards Borgo a Mozzano.

To see another wonderful Lorenzo Nottolini structure click here.

While you are there admiring the bridge, call in for a coffee at Cafe Catene and say hello to Paolo.

Our first snowfall

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

The weather has turned cold and there is a fierce wind blowing through the mountains. There have been some dramatic skies and we thought we could see a light dusting of snow on the distant mountains.

As we got closer we could clearly see snow on the top of the mountains.

I think it is beautiful. Perhaps it will snow again tonight. It seems cold enough.

Once upon a time…

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

It is wonderful to look at old photos of Bagni di Lucca. I finally bought a copy of the book of old Bagni di Lucca postcards.

The book was put together by the Fondazione Michel de Montaigne. Most of the photos and illustrations are of Ponte a Serraglio and La Villa, but there are some of the other villages as well. Many of the scenes are recognisable and is fun to see the way things used to look.

This one is my favourite. Australia gets a mention.

This is just a small selection of postcards from the book and I took photos of the postcards, which is why they might look a bit wonky. You really need to buy the book to see the postcards at their best.

The book is €25 and all proceeds go to the renovation of the English cemetery. I bought my copy at the library in the English church in La Villa.

I missed the launch of the book earlier this year. Francis was there and you can read all about it at From London to Longoio.

Floating on the Lima River

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

The weather has been a bit ordinary for the last few days. It is raining and cool…to be expected at this time of the year.

Autumn leaves are floating down the river, along with our resident ducks.

Despite the weather canoeists were out on the river too.

The little weir at Ponte a Serraglio is the end of the line for canoeists. There wasn’t much water flowing over it on Sunday but they all made it safely.

There is always something interesting happening on the river.

Go to www.bagnidiluccaavventura.it to find out about adventure activities in Bagni di Lucca.

Meet Anna and Elena from Due Ponti

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

A damp chestnut festival at Villa Fiori

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

The annual chestnut festival took place today, Sunday, at the lovely park beside Villa Fiori in Ponte a Serraglio.

The weather could have been better, but an enthusiastic crowd gathered to sample the roasted chestnuts, necci, castagnata and spiced wine.

Children decorated pumpkins under the excellent supervision of Morena from Borgo deli Artisti.

Lovely Rodolfa from Montefegatesi demonstrated spinning for us.

There was some delightful guitar music to help us enjoy the day.

Unfortunately rain stopped the celebrations a bit short…better luck next year.

Wild weather

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

We have had some very wild weather in Bagni di Lucca and the mountains around us. On Sunday night there was an enormous storm which dumped heavy rain on the area. Roads have been closed, and some are still closed. There has been damage to property and some villages remain cut off from main roads.

There was another smaller storm last night, but I haven’t heard of any further damage. The sun has appeared today. With a bit of luck it will stick around for a while.

Here are a few pictures of the muddy river in Ponte a Serraglio.

The river looked a bit more calm today. It is still high, but it is not rushing past so quickly.

The road to Lucca is cut past Borgo a Mozzano. Until yesterday it was cut from Chifenti as water had flooded the road to Ponte a Maddalena. It was open today so I went to the bridge to take a look at the river from there.

You can see how high the river is in the following photo. It is right at the top of the weir.

I walked to the top of the bridge. Two days ago there was a metre of water covering the road below and in the shops and houses beside the road.

If you go to YouTube and look for Serchio in Piena there are several videos of the damaging floods.

I hope the people who have suffered damage get back to normal soon.

The end of an era

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

Bagni di Lucca’s treasure, Mario Lena

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

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.

Season of mists

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Autumn is a beautiful time to be in Bagni di Lucca. I am happy to be back for a few months. I woke to rain and mist this morning…how lovely!

Bella Bagni di Lucca

A beautiful village in Tuscany

Tag Archives: Bagni di Lucca