The Serchio Valley is crossed by a river that rises from a spring in an enchanted cave in the Apennines and from another hidden on the highest peak of the Apuan Alps.
A succession of atmospheres, flavors, and colors that engage all the senses, as often happens in places of great naturalistic value and a long history to tell—the history of great events, battles, castles, and the more common history of work, daily life, and the seasons.
A Middle Earth, intertwined with stories and wild roads climbing mountains and paths through woods, dotted with fortifications built, demolished, conquered, and rebuilt by various neighboring powers, where the breathtaking mountain landscapes alternate with the precious marbles coveted throughout the world, the roaring waters of rivers and streams, and the small and large artistic treasures to be discovered in the silent village churches, large paintings commissioned from famous artists, tiny mountain theaters, or, in the chestnut groves, the paths of the wayside shrines, or, even before that, the prehistoric treasures of the stele statues. A land of stories, home to great poets and rhymers, a place of encounters and conflicts, of wolves and bandits, too, and of other inevitable "fears": witches, wild men, goblins, and demons of various kinds, best told in winter by the fire.
"...in Bagni di Lucca you stand among royal highnesses up to your knees..."
commented historian Cesare Sardi, "Especially in the 19th century, the Bagni di Lucca spa attracted a cultured, aristocratic population from all over Europe, lovers of elegant living and the pleasures of society. Frederick II, Liszt, Paganini, Rossini, Strauss, Dumas, Puccini, Montaigne, Byron, and almost all of the Bonapartes: these are just a few of the many who stayed at the Bagni Caldi. The Corsena spa was already known to the Romans, and even Matilda of Tuscany and later Castruccio Castracani took care to build bridges to allow travelers to reach them. The waters flow warm and rich in minerals, clear and odorless at 54°C, the hottest in the large grotto of the Varraud spa, and 38°C in the "cova," the fountain on the riverside promenade.
From the Bernabò terrace, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the town, composed of three parts: Ponte a Serraglio, the entrance to the town, marked by the bridge commissioned by Duke Leopold, two powerful pillars and the wooden walkway of one of the first chain bridges, avant-garde in its form and design; and Villa, the elegant center of eclectic residences and historic gardens; the Hotel de Russie, the Hotel Roma, which hosted Elisa Baiocchi, the casino and the Circolo dei Forestieri; Villa Fiori with its park of terracotta statues and views of the river; Villa Ada and its garden of centuries-old trees and thermal water pools; and Bagni Caldi, the spa where the Russian prince Demidoff, grateful for the benefits received, promoted the construction of the hospital, now home to the Villaggio Globale holistic medicine center. The Lima River flows through the center, past elegant homes and 19th-century paper mills.
Walking through villages is always pleasant, seeking the atmospheres of seasons and times that pass with natural rhythms.
footsteps on the cobblestones, sunny squares and ever-changing panoramas. In the medieval villages of the mountains, the deeds of Castruccio Castracani, a great leader and vicar of the Sechio Valley. From this convenient position they controlled the valley and the passes for centuries, and the interminable battles between Pisa and Lucca, Pistoia and Modena.
In the Apennines, Barga, rebuilt in 1361, is a tangle of history and narrow streets that climb steeply up to the cathedral like a castle. The history of Barga, however, is a tangle of local disputes. Coreglia Antelminelli, until the 14th century when Castruccio finally made it an impregnable fortress with beautiful buildings in the pearly grey colour of the local stone.
On the Apuan side, from the narrow streets of Careggine Stretching across a vast plateau, the view suddenly opens onto a vast panorama of mountains, from Pratofiorito to the marble basin of Orto di Donna, to the Panie mountain range, and further south to Colognora, a stone village nestled amidst green, shady groves of ancient chestnut trees, and Vetriano, a small town with a tiny theater: two tiers of boxes decorated with painted panels, the stage, and the curtain. A total of 70 square meters: a Guinness World Record.
On the valley floor, along the Serchio, villages always mark the river's confluence with its major tributaries. In Borgo a Mozzano, it meets the Lima beyond the Maddalena Bridge. The town, dominated by the ruins of the ancient Monte Bargiglio fortress tower, boasts beautiful cobbled streets, stone courtyards, ornate churches, and elegant city-style buildings. In Castelnuovo Garfagnana, the confluence with the Turrite River is overlooked by the Castruccio Bridge, a bridge along the medieval walls that leads to the town center. At the confluence of the two main branches of the Serchio, between volcanic rock towers, a medieval bridge connects the village of San Michele and Piazza al Serchio, spanning the gorge carved by the meandering waters of the Serchio di Soraggio.
In the 500th century the House of Este governed the Garfagnana and the poet Ludovico Ariosto was appointed Commissioner of these lands by the Duke.
He was fascinated by the natural scenery that he depicted in some of his works, and he worked hard to renovate and consolidate the defensive system, as the Duke wanted, to protect the Este domains from the diehard Luccans.
Sillico was the first town in Garfagnana to voluntarily place itself under the protection of Niccolò d'Este, thus escaping the dominion of the Republic of Lucca, while Castiglione di Garfagnana, enclosed within a circle of walls with powerful towers, remained faithful to the Lucchese.
La Montalfonso Fortress, The Camporgiano fortress , Verrucole fortress They were the cornerstones of an invisible communications network, reinforced by many other small fortifications. One thing they still have in common: a breathtaking view of the mountains and the valley floor, the still-living atmosphere of a fascinating and mysterious past.
A Castelnuovo Garfagnana, the Ariosto fortress where the poet lived is one of the access gates to the town, the other equally noble, from the Castruccio bridge.
A little higher up, and some time later, the Montalfonso Fortress was also built. Just outside Castelnuovo, along the path dedicated to Ariosto, you can walk to the southern embankments of the walls that enclose the parade ground and the buildings intended for the Duke and the soldiers. From here, the view extends to the Camporgiano fortress and the surrounding village.
Opposite, in the Apennines, Verrucole Castle dominates the entire area. The entire history of the upper Garfagnana has passed within these walls; its unmistakable profile can be seen from afar and from many directions. It can be reached by crossing the village of San Lorenzo and climbing along the crenellated walls to the two fortresses.
The Serchio Valley, nestled between the soft, shady hills of the Apennines and the rugged, white hills of the Apuan Alps, is deeply marked by nature and history.
The river SerchioThe Serchio River, which rises from two sources in the Apennines at the Bucca delle Fate, and on the highest peak of the Apuan Alps, Monte Pisanino, joins its two main branches at Piazza al Serchio, from where the river continues through the valley to Lucca. Many bridges, from every era, span it at various points. The most famous and photographed is the legendary Devil's Bridge in Borgo a Mozzano, an ideal gateway to the valley for travelers from Lucca. The most elegant is the 19th-century Chain Bridge over the Lima River; the most unique is the Villetta Bridge, nestled between two volcanic craters.
Many of the historic routes allow you to get to know the valley as it was once known by travellers who crossed it for reasons of faith or trade.
The medieval Via del Volto Santo runs from the Tea Pass towards Lucca through thick woods, along a path marked by hundreds of small devotional wayside shrines.
The 18th-century Via Vandelli, a daring crossing of the Apennines and Apuan Alps, conceived in the 18th century by the Duke of Modena, is a succession of unique landscapes. The Focolaccia Pass, carved into the marble at an altitude of 1650 meters and overlooking the Versilia coastline, is certainly the most spectacular.
The current railway line, which has been running up the valley since 1840, offers a succession of panoramic views of the mountains and the river, along with the romantic charm of slow travel.
The Cipollaio road is the only road connecting the Garfagnana valley to the coast. The spectacle it offers is unforgettable, from the rugged, bare slopes of the Sumbra and Corchia mountains to the vast white expanses of the quarries and the ravines that from the coast look like snow. The 900th-century Gothic Line, a sign of more recent history, runs through hills covered with lush olive trees, symbols of peace.
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