Meet Oriano and Pina from Pieve di Monti di Villa

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

We met 2 of Pieve di Monti di Villa’s hundred or so inhabitants when we were trying to raid a cherry tree on the side of the road.

Oriano appeared and with his trusty umbrella he pulled a branch down for us.

Soon his wife Pina joined us and told us a little about their pretty village. Oriano was born in the village and Pina was born in Genova. She was sent to Pieve as a child during the war. She found Genova a little noisy when she went back and eventually settled in the village and met Oriano.

Many of the residents moved away to America, Australia and Canada in tough times in the 20th century. People are slowly coming back to enjoy the peaceful mountain life.

Come for a walk through the village to see why.

The church dedicated to St Julia was built in the 12th century, rebuilt in 1446 and remodelled between 1760 and 1766. Only the apse belongs to the original structure.

The narrow streets wind slowly down the side of the mountain.

There are some lovely old doorways.

And some interesting locking devices.

Things grow well in Pieve.

There are lovely details.

There is a pretty bar, which wasn’t open the afternoon we were there. Another visit is needed.

We spotted a small resident out for a walk.

Wandering through the villages of Bagni di Lucca is delightful…especially when you get to meet lovely people like Oriano and Pina.

In every village I have been to I have met people who have been happy to stop and have a chat. Don’t be afraid to say Buongiorno, you never know where it may lead.

Vico Pancellorum, all the way to the top

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

We had lunch again at the wonderful Buca di Baldabo in Vico Pancellorum. It was a beautiful day and after lunch we ventured into new territory when we headed uphill from the restaurant.

The name Vico Pancellorum may have come from ‘panis celorum’ – heavenly bread, but more probably from a type of grass, ‘panicellum’ which grew in the area. The town is ancient and now has a population of only about 120 inhabitants.

Come for a walk to the top of the village.

We walked back to the car through beautiful chestnut trees.

The birds were singing, wildlfowers line the road and the air is heavenly. What more could you wish for?

Click here to see the other post on Vico Pancellorum which talks about the delicious food at Buca di Baldabo and the lower part of the village.

There is an official website for Vico Pancellorum…vicopancellorum.toscana.it

Meet Gianni and Daniela from Il Moro

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Gianni and Daniela have created a beautiful agriturismo in the hills above Ponte a Serraglio. It is accessible by car via the road to Colle, or is a delightful walk through chestnut forest from the village.

The views from here are divine.

It is late spring and the olives and figs are appearing on the trees.

The roses are looking gorgeous.

As well as running the agriturismo Gianni has a hobby. He likes to build roads and houses. He has 2 projects on the go. The first one we went to is a beautiful house he has built from scratch on a level terrace above his own house.

He has done an amazing job. It is not finished yet, but it is going to be magnificent.

As well as the main house, there is a smaller building, where Gianni keeps bees and processes the honey.

The bees are still working busily on the acacia honey, Gianni showed us what will be happening soon.

I hope I am still around when the honey is ready.

The next project involved a drive on a road that Gianni is still working on to a gorgeous stone house he is renovating above La Villa. I want this house!!!!!

There is the main house and a smaller building beside it which could become a work shed or an extra bedroom for guests.

The main house will eventually have 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a huge kitchen, living room and a cellar at the back with a little cave for keeping cheese and other delights.

The smaller building sits above an old cistern.

Gianni has renovated the building beautifully, keeping the traditional style where possible.

I love the stone, tiles and the wonderful ceilings. Somebody is going to get a wonderful place to live.

Gianni doesn’t have a website, but if you want some more information you can email him at ….agriturismoilmoro3@alice.it

Lovers’ walk

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Beside the Lima River at La Villa is the lovely walkway dedicated to the English poets, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, who spent a few summers in Bagni di Lucca in the 1800s. The path was created from the drainage channel of an ancient millpond.

The 2 English poets wrote some of their sonnets during their visits to Bagni di Lucca in 1848, 1853 and 1857. The walk was dedicated to the pair in 2008.

You can find an entrance to the walk near Conad, where you see the sign beside the road.

There is a path to the walk beside the Teatro Accademico, where there is also access to the pedestrian bridge. It is possible to enter the walk from a couple of places at the other end of La Villa as well.

Summer fruits on the way

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

The blossoms are gone from the fruit trees and the tiny fruit has appeared. Soon we will be eating some delicious summer fruits and berries.

Tiny, perfectly formed pears.

Baby cherries.

Peaches?

Plums?

Figs….my favourite.

Gooseberries.

Don’t know.

Raspberries?

And let’s not forget the grapes.

I hope I get to try some before I have to go home.

The pretty park in La Villa

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

There is a lovely park behind the main street in La Villa, the commercial centre of Bagni di Lucca. It is a cool place to sit on a hot day and there is a children’s playground.

The park had a bit of a makeover last year. The old trees were trimmed, the water tower renovated, the playgound renewed and a new fountain was installed.

It is great to see that the park is well used by locals and visitors alike.

Acacia and chestnut blossoms

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Acacia and chestnut blossoms are appearing on trees all around us. The acacia is a bit late this year because of the rain and the cooler than usual weather.

Hopefully soon the air will be filled with the delicious honey like smell of these pretty white flowers.
I know they are weeds, but the bees like them.

The chestnut blossoms stand like proud decorations on the beautiful trees. These are horse chestnut flowers, the real chestnut trees bloom a bit later.

As well as looking beautiful, the blossoms provide nectar for the bees to make honey. The whole area is famous for its delicious, pure honey….lucky us.

Look out for some local honey while you are in Bagni di Lucca. There are lots of small producers in the villages of Bagni di Lucca.

Bagni di Lucca votes for a new mayor

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Yesterday, 6th May, and today the people of Bagni di Lucca have been voting for their new Sindaco (mayor). I can’t vote, but I walked up to our nearest polling station the see what was going on. Sezione No 3 is at the Bagno Bernabo.

The view of Ponte a Serraglio is just gorgeous, especially on a glorious sunny day, like today.

The lovely old spa has been restored recently and we are still waiting to see it open. I went inside, but only a couple of rooms were open.

One of the local carabinieri was on hand to watch over the proceedings.

The electoral lists.

Voting finishes today. I wonder who will win.

I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.

UPDATE…….

Massimo Betti, the handsome fellow in the first photo is our new mayor. He is from Bagni di Lucca and has a pharmacy in La Villa. He is a well known and respected business man who knows and loves Bagni di Lucca. Let’s hope he can bring some positive changes to the villages.

2 special events in Bagni di Lucca

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

On Friday 4th May the San Giovanni spa was officially opened by the outgoing mayor of Bagni di Lucca. Work has been going on for some time on the wonderful old building. It is great to see these places brought back to life.

I photographed the spa late last year while the work was still going on.

There is still some work to do on the interior, but it is looking good.

A good crowd gathered to watch as the mayor performed one of his final duties.

The mayor spoke and the new young priest for Bagni di Lucca blessed the building.

Then everyone charged inside to see what will be on offer when it really opens.

The rooms are light and airy, thanks to the sky lights and glass ceiling.

There are lots of treatment rooms and beautiful baths to take advantage of the health giving waters coming from the spring that feeds the spa. There has been a spa of some kind in this spot for centuries.

Hopefully the work will be completed soon and people will flock to the new spa.

The second event took place the next day at the station at Fornoli.

The mayor was on hand again to open the newly renovated waiting room at the Bagni di Lucca railway station. I recall arriving here in May 2003 and thinking I would like to take a broom and paintbrush to this place. Somebody finally has and it is going to look great, a much better welcome to Bagni di Lucca.

I missed the ribbon cutting, but I did see the scissors.

There isn’t much to photograph in the waiting room of a station, so I will show you around the outside.

The old station near the present one.

On the platform.

Waiting for a train.

There was even a train at the station.

Now if they could just get the train to coordinate with the bus that goes past the station all would be perfect.

I love the tree lined street that leads to the station.

I wonder what the new mayor will bring to Bagni di Lucca.

For those of you who are interested, there was lots of food on offer. Those who did not attend the openings should remember this for next time.

Art lessons in Longoio

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

Peggy Gosling is organizing art lessons in the village of Longoio, where she lives for part of the year. She invited me to the pretty hamlet on the road from La Villa to Montefegatesi to talk about her upcoming venture.
The Longoio geese were at the entrance of the town to greet me.

I think they imagine themselves to be guards, protecting their territory, with lots of hissing and honking. I took their enthusiastic antics as a welcome. Soon their owner appeared to direct them home.

I wandered though the town which was begun centuries ago as a friary. There are lots of archways, which were apparently built by the friars so they could walk on top of them without having to walk through wet fields in the cold winters.

I love the old doorways and windows in the villages.

There are lovely details everywhere.

Spring has been a bit of a disappointment so far, but there are always spring flowers.

I don’t know what the yellow flowers are, but the new growth below is Laurel. Those Bay leaves will no doubt find their way into a pasta sauce.

The roses are just beginning and the tulips nearly finished.

I came across the old church above the village.

And I met the geese again on their travels.

There will certainly be lots of things to draw or paint for the budding artists who come to join Peggy.
Longoio Art is offering landscape drawing and painting holidays, starting later this year. Experienced artists and teachers will help develop your skills in gorgeous settings in and around Longoio.

Take a look at Longoio Art’s website for more information.

Bella Bagni di Lucca

A beautiful village in Tuscany

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