The lucky children of San Cassiano and nearby had a great day at the Campo Sportivo. Lucky for us photographer Paul Davies was on hand to take photos.
Congratulations to the organisers…it was a fun day for all concerned.
I spotted a herd of goats out with their dogs and owner walking on the hill beside San Cassiano.
I hope these scenes continue to be part of life in Bagni di Lucca.
One day I would like to go to the Fish and Chip festival in Barga.
…have some fish and chips for me.
There is another exhibition coming up in La Villa, and an event for children in San Cassiano.
There is always something interesting happening in the area.
Paul Davies from San Cassiano has been out and about taking photos of the gorgeous wild flowers beside the roads on the way to his pretty village. With all the rain we had this spring they are putting on a great show.
Thank you Paul for letting us see your lovely neighbourhood.
Every season has something wonderful to offer in the villages of Bagni di Lucca.
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.
At the meeting point of the roads from Gombereto, Vetteglia, Montefegatesi and San Cassiano is an abandoned church…la Chiesa del Colle.
At some time it must have been a popular refuge for those travelling between the villages. Now it is crumbling and being taken over by the surrounding forest.
There is a path on the right of the church which must come from the villages below.
Behind the church is a pretty path leading through the trees to who knows where. I can see that it must have been a shady place to rest or perhaps to have a picnic.
If only this old chestnut tree could talk.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see these old buildings restored?
San Cassiano is made up of several hamlets. I decided to explore one of the upper villages, Cappella. Look for the sign on the left as you come towards San Cassiano from La Villa.
Cappella is a pretty collection of well kept houses under the looming, mist covered mountain behind it. Of course it is not always covered in mist, but on a chilly winter day it looks a bit spooky with its cloudy cover.
It is possible to drive up into the village, but I chose to leave my car at the bottom and walk up. Come with me and see Cappella.
I found a couple of lovely green doors for my collection as well as the little one above.
I think this must be the old communal water supply and washing area.
I love the old stone walls.
Some cachi were left behind on the trees.
I found an excellent renovator’s delight. It just needs a new roof and a little bit of work on the interior.
There is always a cat or 2.
And some interesting garden decoration.
The views are always wonderful from the mountain villages.
I want to come back to see the village in spring, when all the trees are green.
I spotted a sign for the next hamlet…another day.
There is a new museum in San Cassiano to house the 14th century sculpture in wood of a horse and rider, identified as San Martino, by artist Jacopo dell Quercia. The sculptor is also famous for the carving of the tomb of Ilaria Guinigi in the Duomo in Lucca, and the Fontana Gaia in Siena, among other things. San Martino was known for his generosity and compassion and it is said that he cut his cloak in half and gave it to a poor freezing peasant to keep him warm in winter.
Previously the sculpture had been kept in the local church.The Chiesa Monumentale di S.Cassiano has been known since 722. The facade is from the period between 9th and 12th centuries.
At 11.30 people began to gather in front of the church for the ceremony.
The mayor of Bagni di Lucca, Dottore Massimo Betti, gave a speech about the importance of the Lima Valley. The area of San Cassiano had a population of 1800 people in the 16th century, at a time when La Villa and Ponte a Serraglio had a combined population of only 570.
After more speeches by those responsible for setting up the museum, the priest and the onlookers toasted the new museum.
Then everyone filed in to see the sculpture.
I was not at the museum opening, but Heather Jarman from Sapori-e-Saperi was, and kindly sent the photos and details of the event so we can all share it. Thank you Heather.
The new museum will be open every Saturday from 9.00 – 12.00 and 15.00 – 19.00. For information and booking at other times call: (39) 0583 809275
For a previous post on San Cassiano click here.
This little festa in San Cassiano is, I suspect, an excuse to eat frittelle for S. Giuseppe’s day. I can see no better reason to have a celebration.
The afternoon was slightly overcast, but that didn’t stop the villagers gathering at the park above the town to get together, have a chat and eat some frittelle. Luciana was chief cook.
She told me there were 4 kilos of flour, 1 kilo of sugar, milk and yeast in her batter. She was ably assisted by Mila.
Jim tested the frittelle, decided they were excellent and ate 4, with a cup of sangria to help them along.
The village children had fun as well.
I wonder if they ever get tired of the dramatic landscape here.
I was most impressed with the earrings on one of the festival participants.
I think I need a pair.
San Cassiano is about 10 minutes from La Villa on the road towards Montefegatesi. The whole area is beautiful and dotted with pretty villages.
The hamlets that make up San Cassiano were once quite highly populated, but like many of the villages of Bagni di Lucca, it is now a quiet place. We parked the car at the bottom of the village and walked up towards the church and the main square. Along the way we met Arnoldo and his son Fabio who had been collecting fig cuttings to plant.
Arnoldo speaks good English as a result of living in America for 15 years. He came back to his home in San Cassiano in 1971 and has lived here ever since. You can’t blame him, the village is lovely. It sits high on the hill with sunshine all day and spectacular views all around.
He told us that there were 7 parts to San Cassiano. The village will obviously require several visits.
We walked past the War Memorial with the lists of the town’s men who have died in several wars. The list is too long.
Opposite the memorial is the beautiful church, Chiesa Monumentale di S.Cassiano.
The church has been known since 722. The facade is from the period between the 9th and 12th centuries. It was closed so we couldn’t go inside, but the decoration on the outside is lovely.
The campanile is the oldest part of the church.
Spring is coming to San Cassiano.
We were there in time to see a peak hour traffic jam.
Somebody had parked in front of the butcher shop (why not?) and with another car parked on the other side of the road, nobody could get through. Everybody just stopped and had a chat and the customer eventually came out and they went on their way. There was a bit of horn blowing, but not too much.
The mountains behind San Cassiano are quiet spectacular.
There is still evidence of the landslides from the 18th century which wiped out the communities of Celle and Cerro.
The area is beautifully rustic.
There are excellent views of neighbouring villages.
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We had a lovely view of San Cassiano in the late afternoon sun as we left.
I have to return to San Cassiano as a restaurant that I particularly like to eat at was not open. Soon spring will really arrive and the village will look completely different on my next visit.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 