SpasLucca.
This part of Tuscany is very special. Here nature
and landscape have different characters with respect
to those of the classic Tuscany. In Val di Serchio
and Garfagnana we find not only the pleasant and quiet
hills of the Renaissance painting, but also lofty
peaks and rocky relieves that overhang on the valley
bottom along the Serchio, where the roads wind and
suddenly radiate into solar valleys. Here very old
villages clinging on the green hills are reflected
into lakes with magic reflections. Also to the side
of Garfagnana and medium Val di Serchio, the Alpi
Apuane remain the dominating element that characterizes
the landscape. Moreover, art and culture qualify the
tourist offer in the whole area around Lucca. The
chief town, Lucca, is itself an unique example of
"walled" city, an uninterrupted construction
from the time of the Romans to the XVIII century,
which remained untouched inside the "wooded circle".
It would be harduous to list here the innumerable
events that make the very rich artistic heritage of
Lucca more precious. Mention should however be made
of the musical tradition of Lucca, home of Boccherini
and Gemignani, Catalani and Giacomo Puccini. Much
should be said about her glorious silk industry that
goes back to the Middle Age and that developed up
to and beyond the XVII century: It should be underlined
here that decorations of the precious silks of Lucca
can be found in the marble tarsias of the façades
of her Romanesque churches. By leaving from one of
the gates of Lucca, it will be possible to select
various equally interesting routes: to the hills that
surround Lucca and that are well known even thanks
to the wine production and the efficient network of
agritourist farms we could visit the famous and monumental
Villas, rich in historical parks, built from the XVI
to the XIX century. Or, if we go along the ancient
Roman roads to Pescia and Pistoia and crossing the
plane of Capannori, characterized by the farmer "yards'"
system, we will reach the Altopascio area with its
memories bound to the Hospice of the Order of the
Tau Knights and therefore Montecarlo hill with its
fortress of Carlo V and its oenogastronomic dishes.
If, on the contrary, from Porta S. Maria we take the
road to the Brennero along the Serchio, we meet the
millenary and risky Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge)
in Borgo a Mozzano. Further on, where Serchio and
Lima flow into each other, we can either turn aside
or slowly climb up to the thermal resort of Bagni
di Lucca, known for its therapeutic properties since
the time of Countess Matilde of Tuscany. If, on the
contrary, we continue along the Serchio, on the left
we find Gallicano, from where we can reach the village
of Vergemoli and the phantasmagoric Wind Grottos;
on the right, by going up the river, the valley is
dominated by the wonderful town of Barga. Then we
will reach Castelnuovo, where Serchio and Turrite
meet at the base of the Fortress of the Governor Ariosto.
From here start the roads to the high Garfagnana,
that deserves to be completely known for its special
features, ranging from the often very old Villages
to the places of Faith, from the Feasts and "May"
performances with the rich blooming of expressions
and traditions of the mountain population up to the
new discovery of the natural and environmental heritage
of the Park of the Apuane. It can be particularly
enjoyed by reaching the State park of Orecchiella
or turning aside to the Alp of S. Pellegrino with
its Hospice, today a Museum, built on the lay-out
of the "Francingena" Road.
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