Barga, Tuscany

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Front page of the website for Barga

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Barga showing through the clouds

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Barga's coat-of-arms

Barga is a medieval Tuscan city in the north of Italy, with a total of around 10,000 inhabitants. It lies on a hilltop just outside Garfagnana - in the portion of the Serchio Valley located within the Province of Lucca. Barga is north of the town of Lucca, a medieval city noted for its amphitheatre, ancient towers and medieval churches. Lucca is about 60 minutes north of Pisa, known worldwide for its leaning tower, as well as many other ancient churches and monuments.

Barga, itself, is known for its artistic richness, historic monuments, and mild climate in comparison with much of the country. There is a Cathedral overlooking the whole town, which is surrounded by old city walls. There is an annual international opera festival; operabarga and a long running and very successful jazz festival; bargajazz. Recently it has become the home of many painters who exhibit their work in some of the small galleries within the castle walls

It is now known as "The Most Scottish Town in Italy" due to the thousands of emigrants who left this area in the last century during the famine and started a new life in Scotland. Many made their fortunes in the fish and chips and ice cream businesses and return each summer to their home city.

The town has an area of about 66 km² and a total population of 10,018.

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"Barga in the Valley of the Serchio - a distinguished well-populated town, blessed by nature and by art, capital of the Grand Duchy of the Garfagnana, belonging to the bishopric and municipality of the Diocese of Pisa, formerly of Lucca, District of Pisa".

This was the entry for Barga in the "Historical and Geographical History of Tuscany", which was published in 1833 and written by Emanuele Repetti from Carrara, the scientist, historian and distinguished member of the Academy of Agrarian Economics and Rural Life.

Today the Grand Duchy of the Garfagnana no longer exists, nor is Barga any longer a capital in any institutional sense, although the population, certainly, has grown. What does remain, however, is the distinctiveness of the town and its surroundings. It is still blessed by its beautiful setting, its works of art and the undeniable fascination of its historic centre which has preserved the original urban plan. Also remaining are the warmth and kindness of the people of Barga towards those who visit it for the first time. Indeed the attitude of the Barghigiani towards visitors is quite open and friendly and you are more likely to find 'bad feelings' between fellow townspeople than any towards an 'outsider'.

The culture, or rather the spirit or soul of the Barghigiani carries the indelible imprimature of Florence: this distinctive and ennobling association of Barga with Florence came as a result not only of political dependence but also of a civil, cultural and artistic integration. More than five centuries of common interest (1341-1859) could not but leave a deep and longlasting influence.

External links

• barganews.com - Main site for Barga . (English + Italian)
• bargajazz - bargajazz . (English + Italian)
• operabarga - operabarga .
• 3D tour of the barga churches - moving images of all the churches in Barga .
• teatro dei differenti - The hidden jewel of Barga - the 17th century theatre.
• scottish connections - Barga has had a historical connection with Scotland stretching back over the generations. A complete list of all things Scottish are here .
• Council site (Italian)
• Independent editorial article - Barga's fish & chip festival