Barga: Italy’s Most Scottish Town and Its Double Sunset
Barga Tuscany: a walled hill town with Scottish roots, a sunset that happens twice, and a Buffalo Soldier’s last stand above it. Plan your visit.
Vagli Sotto and Careggine: The Village Beneath the Lake
Lago di Vagli Tuscany hides Fabbriche di Careggine, a drowned village that has resurfaced only four times. Its story, and what to do there now.
Camporgiano and Piazza al Serchio: Tuscany’s Upper Serchio Valley
Camporgiano Tuscany: an Este fortress full of Renaissance pottery, then Piazza al Serchio’s farro fields and craft beer. Explore the upper valley.
San Romano in Garfagnana: A Fortress Where the Past Talks Back
San Romano in Garfagnana Tuscany: the Fortezza delle Verrucole, where guides in period dress bring a garrison to life, and the Orecchiella. Book ahead.
Castiglione di Garfagnana: Lucca’s Island in Enemy Territory
Castiglione di Garfagnana Tuscany: 14th-century walls built to face the neighbors, and a barefoot Holy Thursday procession. Plan your visit.
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana: The Capital a Poet Couldn’t Govern
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana Tuscany: the fortress where Ariosto fought bandits, a September fair held since 1430, and the valley’s best base.
4 Days in the Garfagnana: Bridges, Fortresses, and a Drowned Village
A 4-day Garfagnana itinerary from Lucca: the Devil’s Bridge, Barga, the Grotta del Vento, Este fortresses, and Lake Vagli. Plan your route.
Garfagnana: Tuscany’s Mountain Valley That Looked North
Garfagnana Tuscany: four centuries under Ferrara’s dukes, a village under a lake, farro, chestnuts, and two mountain parks. Plan your visit.
Camaldoli: A Thousand Years of Silence in the Forest
For a thousand years, Camaldolese monks have lived in silence among the ancient forests of the Casentino. Visit the hermitage, monastery, and historic pharmacy at Camaldoli.
Marradi: Where the Chestnuts Fall and the Map Gets Confused
Marradi is where Tuscany meets Romagna — a chestnut town that produced Italy’s wildest poet, hosts an October sagra reachable by vintage steam train, and moves at Slow City pace.