… and Barga. We woke up Saturday to the sound of engines revving outside our windows. The 2013 Il Ciocco Rally had begun! Our balcony was a great place to see the cars lining up to start the race. Most car makes were represented, from Fiat to Ferrari. The drivers wore official-looking racing uniforms, and some had large entourages. Many drivers stayed in our hotel for the weekend, which temporarily boosted the attractiveness of the clientele.
With the race underway, we had to use a roundabout tiny road to leave the hotel, and found the roads wherever we went were full of racers in mid-circuit. Because it is a timed event with a staggered start, the racers must match the clock requirements, so all out speed is not necessarily an advantage.
The race continued on Sunday morning. The weather didn’t look too promising so we scheduled late afternoon massages at the hotel’s spa and headed for nearby Barga to explore. Lucca has very uneven paving, but is quite level otherwise. Barga is extremely hilly, with some of the best sights located in the steepest parts of the city. A light rain began to fall. There was supposed to be a chocolate festival in Barga on Palm Sunday, along with a large market, and we spent a lot of time searching for a sign of either event. Finally someone told us that none of the chocolatiers had shown up, and the market was reduced to just a few vendors because of the rain.
Barga’s origins are unknown, but by the Middle Ages it was a fortified city. It became known for manufacturing plaster figurines; in the early 19th century, many of these plaster crafters (notice I did NOT say casters!) fled to France, Austria, Germany and Russia, and then to the US and UK in the end of the century. They became successful small businessmen, owning saloons in the US and fried-food shops in Scotland, and then returned to Barga to retire, creating a boom in the local economy.
We entered Barga through the well-preserved Porta Reale. In search of chocolate, we chose the most level street, the well-named “Via Mezzo” – the Middle Road. When that street ended in a steep downward path, we began the descent rather cautiously. We were quickly passed by two elderly ladies in high heels – and carrying umbrellas!
After wandering up hill and down, we stopped in a café for a coffee for Mia and cups of the region’s thick hot chocolate for Frank and me. People we talked with said the thing to see in Barga is the Duomo; when we checked the map, it was unfortunately located at the very top of the hill on which Barga sits.
Huffing and puffing, we made our way up a series of steep and now slippery paths and steps to the top. The most interesting things in the Duomo were windows with thin alabaster coverings from the Middle East rather than stained glass; an amazing marble pulpit; and several terra cotta works by the della Robbias.
After snapping some pictures from the high vantage point, we worked our way downhill and ate a tasty lunch at Mordimi, which can be translated as “Bite Me!” The deep-fried Roman-style artichokes were memorable; every piece of the artichoke is edible and delicious, including the stem.
Driving back to the hotel, we looked for the home of Giovanni Pascoli, a noted Italian poet from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We saw signs for the house, and had a flyer with a photo of the house, but couldn’t find it – until we approached the entrance to the hotel, and saw that Pascoli’s house sits just below the hotel! We toured the home with a docent, who said everything in the house is just as it was when Pascoli lived there, including his clothes in the closets and drawers. Pascoli’s sister Maria preserved everything for the rest of her life, outliving Giovanni by 40 years. No photos were allowed in the house; here are Pascoli’s chaise lounge on his balcony, and the view he had when sitting in it.
We had a nice swim and massage in the hotel spa, and then a great game of cards with Mia, accompanied by pizza and chestnut beer. A very good day!
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