I went to the car park in Villa Fiori almost in time to see the huge tree that fell a few weeks ago lifted off the roof. Heavy equipment has been moved in. I’m sorry I missed the man in the cherry picker attaching ropes to the tree for the lift off.
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Wouldn’t it be great to see someone buy Villa Fiori and bring it back to its former glory? Anyone out there???
It looks as if some of the other trees are being trimmed too.
The annual art competition organised by Borgo degli Artisti will take place in Villa Fiori park on 8th July.
Artists need to be at Villa Fiori at 8.00am ready to start painting. Work must be finished by 4.00pm and the judging will be at 5.30pm.
Lunch will be held in the park at 12.30pm at a cost of €15. You will need to book for this.
There will be art lessons for children.
This is a fun day for everyone and there are generous prizes for winning artists.
For more information call Morena…320 1107330
I walked across the passerella in Ponte a Serraglio bright and early on Saturday morning to the Villa Fiori Park.
The park had been set up to resemble a military camp. Tents, supplies were already there and some vehicles, with more to come.
These are well kept vehicles.
The soldiers looked pretty good too.
I think being involved in a war would be wretched. I would like to think that occasionally in the misery, soldiers might have actually enjoyed a lovely spring day away from battle grounds in a green space like this. It is possible that they did, Bagni di Lucca was heavily involved in the fighting. There is still evidence of the Gothic Line, the most northerly of the defence lines built by the Germans, in the area.
This excellent display was organised by the Ass.ne Linea Gotica della Lucchesia.
This weekend there will be an event at Villa Fiori park in Ponte a Serraglio…memories of the war, by the Linea Gottica Association. A documentary about the Lucca area in WWII will be shown at the casino at 6.00pm on Saturday.
I don’t have a lot of information other than the poster, but it should be interesting.
Sunday was hot at Ponte a Serraglio, but it didn’t stop lots of artists to gather to take part in the art competition in the Villa Fiori park.
I wasn’t there, but my friends Moe and Liz took some photos to share. There are also some by local photographers Valerio Ceccarelli and Domenico Bertuccelli.
Artists found a cool spot where they could.
My friend Moe had a great vantage point on my balcony.
The standard was excellent.
There was music and dancing.
These were the first 3 prizes awarded…I think 3rd and 4th and 5th.
This is the second prize.
This is the winner.
Congratulations to everyone involved for a successful day at Ponte a Serraglio.
A team of people has cleaned the shallow pool and the overgrown area beside Villa Fiori.
The lovely diver will now be visible again. Perhaps she will be the subject for some of the artists who will gather for the art competition on the weekend.
Thank you to the group of people involved.
There is a neglected magnolia in the neglected car park of the neglected Villa Fiori. It still manages to look beautiful.
With a bit of luck a buyer will turn up in April when the building goes on sale.
Some undergrowth has been removed from what is left of the garden around Villa Fiori in Ponte a Serraglio. A sculpture of a diving girl has been uncovered.
She is one of a group of sculptures that stood around a shallow pool, now empty and abandoned. The others have disappeared and she has lost an arm.
The neglect of this building is a crying shame…but you could do something about this. Villa Fiori is for sale. For less than €1 million it could be yours.
Spread the word, tell everyone you know. There must be someone out there with vision (and money). Bagni di Lucca is a wonderful collection of villages, famous for its spas. The area is gorgeous, with mountains, a beautiful river and the first casino in Europe, as well as the spas that need a little love and attention. While other towns and villages in Italy struggle to find a focus for regrowth, Bagni di Lucca is a treasure trove.
It just needs someone with ideas and money to bring life to some of the magnificent old buildings. We love Bagni di Lucca just the way it is, and we don’t want it to change too much, but it would be great to see more opportunities for young locals, who shouldn’t have to leave their beloved home town to find work.
On Sunday the eighth annual Art Competition organised by Borgo degli Artisti was held in the park beside Villa Fiori. The day was hot, so most artists set up their easels in the shade of the old trees. 
There was a space set up for the children, and Belinda, to paint a dove or create their own art. 
Lunch is always an important part of the day…always. 
The artists had to work quickly. Their work had to be completed in time for the judging. 
The winners were… Student…Serenella Randazza 1st…Emilio Cavani 2nd…Silvio Bondarda 3rd…Massimo Ricco 4th…Graziana Masetti. A big thank you to Sheila, who took all these great photos for us. 
…and thank you to Borgo degli Artisti for organising the event. They do a wonderful job on the Art Competition every year.
Click here to see the post by Francis with all the paintings and the winners’ works of art.
Villa Fiori in Ponte a Serraglio was originally called Villa Pieri. The villa takes its present name from Baron Fiori who purchased it in the second half of the 19th century. The appearence of the building has changed several times.
Here is a photo before the most recent change of appearence.
The latest renovation was done by Paolinelli in 1916 – 1917 when it was owned by Jean Varraud, who ran the thermal baths at Bagni Caldi until 1968.
When I first came to Bagni di Lucca some of the statues of swimmers still stood beside the little pool in the garden.
The house now sits lonely and unloved beside the river. The little park near the house is cared for by the people of Borgo degli Artisti and there are regular events held there.
I particularly like the 4 towers in the park on the edge of the property.
Villa Fiori looks wonderful from above the village.
It would be great if someone came along and breathed new life into Villa Fiori…any takers?
Bella Bagni di Lucca 
