Approximately 60% of Barga’s inhabitants have relatives in the west of Scotland. Many residents emigrated in the early part of the 20th century to work in catering. In many cases their descendants have returned to live in this lovely hilltop town. It is quite strange to hear someone speaking Italian and then break into a broad Scottish accent.
The origins of Barga are unknown, but historical documents indicate that it was a fiefdom of Lombardy in the 8th century. In the 14th century the town joined the Republic of Florence, opening itself to attacks from Pisa and Lucca, which explains the design of the town. It is shaped like a walled castle with few entrances.
The Porta Reale entrance is beside the car park on the road between Bagni di Lucca and Castelnuovo.
This cute little Fiat was parked at the entrance. I don’t think it was small enough to make its way through the narrow streets of Barga.
All the paved streets lead to the ancient Cathedral, dedicated to San Cristoforo, built in the 11th century in the Romanesque style. That is where I headed first.
The streets are narrow and steep.
A bit of ancient Roman wiring.
Just before the church is the most beautiful house with a terrace garden.
The cathedral keeps guard over the town.
There is one last steep climb to the top.
The view from the top is wonderful, especially in winter when there is snow on the mountains.
Luckily, the church was open.
The pulpit was designed in the 12th century by Guido Bignarelli.
A 3.5 metre wooden statue of Saint Christopher dominates the church.
There are beautiful stained glass windows.
There is some impressive art.
Bedside the church is a museum, which wasn’t open.
I wandered back down the hill and found another church in a completely different style. the Chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso is a 12th century structure that was completely remodelled in the 17th century.
The view from the courtyard of this church was excellent too.
Barga’s streets are steep and narrow and every now and then you come upon a pretty piazza. In winter there is not a lot happening, but I saw lots of cafes and restaurants just waiting for some warm weather to open their terraces for outdoor dining.
The Teatro dei Differenti was built in 1688 and renewed in 1795.
The postmen here need special skills. There is no way I would be driving the van up these streets.
Barga is a beautifully kept town. You could wander for hours in the maze of streets.
I loved this little decoration on the side of a building. It was no bigger than my hand.
I stopped to buy some fabric in a tiny shop where I met Licia who told me she has worked here most of her life and lives next door to the shop.
There is a new section of Barga which is also lovely. I’ll have to go back.
I’m sorry I won’t be here in summer for the annual Fish and Chip Festival in July/August.
It looks lovely and the fish and chips festivals sounds like something we should check out!
Rene
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By: rene on March 11, 2012
at 6:53 am
Apparently the first and last day of the Fish and Chip festival are the best……this came from a local.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:18 pm
What a sympathetic post! Loved it Debra!
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By: Mia Dolce Toscana on March 11, 2012
at 7:13 am
Barga is well worth a visit.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:19 pm
Great post and beautiful photos, Debra! We love Barga and we go there quite often. There is a lovely shop right at the entrance through Porta Reale that sells an excellent variety of local food products, wines and olive oil. I always buy something there, particularly the chestnut tagliatelle, which I serve with a sauce of duck in orange sauce (the famous French “canard à l’orange” is really a Tuscan dish, introduced to France by Catherine of Medici’s chefs).
There is also a very good antiques shop that has some fantastic pieces.
We are lucky to have Barga only a few miles away from Bagni.
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By: Mulino Dominillo on March 11, 2012
at 7:26 am
Chestnut tagliatelle sounds delicious.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:20 pm
Every aspect of this post and this place is beautiful. I’d love to go there. I’m very fond of these Italian towns that sit up high on have views on all sides. It’s just stunning…
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By: The Daily Cure / Charlotte on March 11, 2012
at 8:00 am
The views from the top of the hill are gorgeous!
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:20 pm
This is absolutely enchanting Debra. Why oh why did I book for only two weeks in BdL?
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By: Dianne L on March 11, 2012
at 8:26 am
You will be able to see quite a lot in 2 weeks.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:21 pm
Thank you for making the climb for those magnificent mountain views. I am fascinated by the fabric store. Is that a “yard stick’ on the counter?
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By: Anonymous on March 11, 2012
at 10:09 am
Yes, it is a yard stick. They are used a lot here.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:22 pm
What a lovely town Barga looks like. I imagine myself wandering around the narrow alleys of the town for hours and snapping some pictures of the little things that make this town interesting.
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By: Bama on March 11, 2012
at 12:01 pm
It is easy to spend hours in these places.Each one is different and has fascinating things to see.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:23 pm
I so love seeing Italy thru your eyes (and lens). Thank-you for this inspiring tour of Barga!
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By: Marcie on March 11, 2012
at 12:27 pm
I will have to go back when spring is further along and the flowers are everywhere.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:24 pm
What a lovely and interesting post! The Scottish connect, the steep and narrow passageways, the simplicity of the gorgeous church and, of course, some small detail to charm…I always love the ‘jaw dropping’ elements you bring to life for us to share. It’s a very nice gift, GRAZIE!
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By: Anonymous on March 11, 2012
at 1:22 pm
Barga is a charming town. I have been several times and find something new each time.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:24 pm
Thank you for a lovely post and great pictures. You have inspired me to start getting in better shape right now or I will never be able to cope with all of the climbing in Barga. We spend a good deal of time there when we are back to Bagni and it is definitely one of our favorite places in the area. Your pictures are wonderful.
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By: Diane on March 11, 2012
at 1:49 pm
Barga is fairly steep, but there is no rush to the top.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:25 pm
What a beautiful town… Fascinated me. Your photographs are so beautiful too, I wished to be there too… The snowy mountains… the narrow streets, the sculptures, squares, houses… I am almost gone into these photographs… Thank you dear Debra, your photography really dragging us into this voyage too… Have a nice day, with my love, nia
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By: niasunset on March 11, 2012
at 2:28 pm
Barga is a lovely town to visit. In a few weeks the restaurants will start to open for the summer season and the village will come to life.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:35 pm
Barga looks lovely your images as always are lovely. The yellow fiat is super cute.
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By: Just Add Attitude on March 11, 2012
at 2:39 pm
I love those old Fiats. There are lots of them around here.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:36 pm
We spent a day in Barga a few years ago and adored it…such a great hike to the top and the view was dynamite – clear day, could see forever! Bought farro to bring home, and of course had gelato!
I think that same yellow Fiat was parked there then… 🙂
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By: Susan and Wade on March 11, 2012
at 5:19 pm
How lovely that the Fiat is a resident!
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:31 pm
OMG! The view is so stunning it nearly took my breath away. Wow! Thanks for sharing these incredible images.
Hugs,
Kathy
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By: Kathryn McCullough on March 11, 2012
at 5:58 pm
It was a perfect day to be at the very top of Barga.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 11, 2012
at 6:31 pm
Ciao Deb
Great photography. Definately on out “to do” map
Alan e Carolyna
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By: alan featherby on March 11, 2012
at 7:04 pm
Reblogged this on emilypoodles and commented:
i want to go here
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By: emilypoodles on March 11, 2012
at 7:55 pm
That little face in cut into the stone wall that you liked so much is called a ‘scacciaguai’ and was used to banish troubles. ‘Scacciare’ means to send away, and ‘guai’ are troubles. That particular one is on the wall of the most elegant restaurant in Barga, called Scacciaguai. The atmosphere is lively, the food is good and you can watch the chef cook your meal on a video screen in the dining room.
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By: Heather Jarman on March 11, 2012
at 10:04 pm
I would love to try the restaurant soon. It was closed the day I was there. It look great as I was peering in with my nose pressed against the glass.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 18, 2012
at 8:09 am
Superb presentation of Barga. I remember my Italian friend showing me a small building in the church grounds which we would call the “weights and measures offices ” which had one metre marked in a stone ledge and holes carved out of the stone ledge which would hold one litre and were used to check that Olive oil , Wine etc.were sold in the correct quantities . All those years ago ,unbelievable. Thak you for the reminder of a great visit
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By: Matt McMillan on March 11, 2012
at 10:46 pm
We love Barga. We will be back in spring for another look.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 18, 2012
at 8:10 am
In 7 years of living in Italy (and three spent hanging around in Tuscany I never heard of this wonderful place. It’s on my visit list for the next time I’m there.
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By: Shelagh on March 12, 2012
at 1:00 am
Barga is a lovely town, both the old and the new parts are great.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 18, 2012
at 8:09 am
You’ve captured some of my favourite things here Debra. That austere church interior for one. Plus I would love to behold that gigantic St Christopher!
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By: janinevasta on March 12, 2012
at 1:38 am
St Christopher is very impressive
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:54 pm
What beautiful photos Debra. I’m putting this on my list of places to visit (preferably on fish-and-chips day!) What was the meaning of the cross with the hammer and tongs on it do you think?
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By: farfalle1 on March 12, 2012
at 5:33 am
I don’t know the significance of those things. I was hoping someone else would.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:54 pm
They’re some of the symbols of the Passion Story, the crucifixion of Jesus. The hammer was used to nail him to the cross, the pincers to remove the nails and take him down. It’s all explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arma_Christi.
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By: Heather Jarman on March 12, 2012
at 8:05 pm
I knew somebody would have an explanation, thank you!
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 8:56 pm
I wish I’d known about that Scottish connection in Barga. I could have boasted about the Tulloch heritage.
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By: Richard Tulloch on March 12, 2012
at 6:46 am
You will have to come back!
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:51 pm
What an adorable little town. And I’d love to hear a Scottish accent in such a place.. How beautiful. Thank you!
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By: Anna Harrison on March 12, 2012
at 7:03 am
I think Scottish accents are lovely.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:50 pm
Thank you so much for “my” morning stroll; beautiful town, beautiful photos!!
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By: Gian Banchero on March 12, 2012
at 7:23 am
I am hoping to photograph lots of the mountain towns and villages.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:50 pm
Very interesting Debra “60% of residents come from the west of Scotland”. The best ice cream and fish and chip shops are owned by Italians in the west, Edinburgh also has a large Italian community, mostly owning food shops, restaurants and ice cream shops.
Barga looks a beautiful place, another must visit, one day.
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By: Paula on March 12, 2012
at 11:01 am
The Scottish/Italian connection is very strong.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:49 pm
Lovely place… I have not heard of it, but has just gotten into my to-visit list.
Nice ambiance you captured… fine pictures, as usual.
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By: maru on March 12, 2012
at 3:19 pm
Barga is a lovely town. I will go back in a few weeks when there are spring flowers.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:48 pm
Debra what day were you in Barga? I was there this Saturday and the 500 was in exactly the same spot! Were you there the same day? Or maybe it’s always parked there to look cute and pose! I took some almost identical photos to you intending for my blog, including the 500 of course and the little face carving-great minds think alike! But you have taken many more and better, I will wait a while before posting mine!
The fish and chip festival is on every night for 3 weeks in July and is always well attended, we’ve even been when it’s pouring rain and still many there! It’s great fun, they have live bands and dancing after everyone has eaten.
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By: From a Tuscan Villa on March 12, 2012
at 5:57 pm
I was there last Thursday so the Fiat must be a regular. How funny that you took the same photos! Barga is a great place to visit.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 12, 2012
at 7:00 pm
Barga, I love this place. I spent a month here in 1973 for an opera workshop for American students. I had no idea about the Scottish connection, but I remember this place for the amazing fiori fritti, the gelato shop we all visited every night after dinner, and the owner of the bar/restaurant we frequented who broke out into operatic arias at the drop of the hat. And the very, very steep streets. I featured a painting of the loggia of a house where I lived in one of my posts (http://composerinthegarden.com/2012/01/02/on-being-versatile/ “the last painting”) I love this town almost as much as Lucca and Florence 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post!
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By: composerinthegarden on March 13, 2012
at 12:34 am
I’ll take note of the comment about the first and last day of the Fish and Chip festival. We visited it last year on an average Tuesday and it was still brilliant!
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By: Sparters on March 15, 2012
at 1:37 pm
I haven’t been to the Fish an Chip Festival, this delight has escaped me. It sounds like fun.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 15, 2012
at 8:39 pm
amazing amazing pictures. we might visit this summer too Florence, so we’ll see where we can wander…
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By: Fragolina on March 15, 2012
at 8:40 pm
You must come to this area, there is so much to see and do here.
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By: Debra Kolkka on March 16, 2012
at 7:19 am
[…] Barga – the most scottish town in Italy, by Bagna di Luca and beyond […]
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By: Its April – Blog update | Happy Heart of Europe on April 2, 2012
at 7:28 am
Reblogged this on Our House in Tuscany and commented:
Barga is a great place to visit and is only about 25 minutes from Vergemoli
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By: Debra Kolkka on August 4, 2012
at 12:53 am
[…] Barga […]
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By: On the Villages | A Frank Angle on May 9, 2013
at 1:35 am
Beautiful pictures of Barga which I have always wanted to visit. My mother was born there and her family must have been part of the 60% that went to Scotland in the early 1900s. Her family name was Guidi and the family had Ice cream parlours and Seaside cafesin the North East of England.
Thank you for letting me see mymothers birthplace.
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By: Evelyn Ann Hughes on July 23, 2013
at 8:55 pm
Barga is a lovely town, I hope you visit one day.
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By: Debra Kolkka on July 23, 2013
at 9:01 pm
Spent a week in Barga June 2013. Lived like a local, shopping for the daily food, doing laundry and hanging it to dry, walking up and down the streets, wine in the piazza, dinner at the outside tables. Enchanting! The ability to buy locally produced goods was my favorite part. Stayed at a vacation rental by owner just below the Duomo (yea, a hike but sooo worth it). Villa Speranza was the perfect accommodation so I could cook for my family with the local groceries (my 18 year old son loved going to the meat shop to get dinner fixings). Evenings on the terrace of the Villa watching the sunset still brings a smile to my face. Other than travel days, our rental car was happily parked half the time as we explored on foot this wonderful Medieval Hilltown.
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By: Bev From Washington State, USA on July 30, 2013
at 4:38 pm
If you have the time, that is exactly what you should do on an Italian village holiday…relax and live like a local. Barga is an excellent place to do that.
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By: Debra Kolkka on July 30, 2013
at 9:48 pm
We stumbled across Barga while house hunting in Tuscany & fell in love with the town & the people, they are so friendly. The scotish conection is wonderful. The place I hear is so full of life during the height of the summer months. We have been there 4 times already this year, enjoying the place, food & friendliness of the people. We loved the place so much we have bought a lovely Tuscan town house 2mins from Barga in Ponte di Catagnana: looking at some of your pictures & comments it makes me feel happy as it reminds me how lovely Barga is & I truly know I bought in the right place – thanks Debra
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By: Sharon on September 6, 2013
at 11:48 pm
How wonderful to have a place near Barga. The whole area is fascinating. We bought in Bagni di Lucca 10 years ago and we love our time in Italy.
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By: Debra Kolkka on September 10, 2013
at 7:30 am
[…] nothing to do with Barga, or working in a fabric shop. If you’re curious, you can find the post here. It does though, have a little bit to do with travel, or maybe a […]
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By: To Be Or Not To Be…A Traveler | juanitasplace on August 11, 2013
at 8:46 pm
We were there this year. Indeed it is a very nice town with amazing views on mountains. Seemed quite deserted when we have visited it. I guess not too many tourists are coming there in June.
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By: Renata on September 20, 2013
at 10:43 pm
I am surprised there weren’t more people around in June. I would have thought this was well into the tourist season.
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By: Debra Kolkka on September 21, 2013
at 1:41 am
Perhaps there are more people coming in the second part of June when schools end an in August and July. If there are slopes ready for skiing more people might be coming in Winter as well.
It seems this part of Italy, including Bagni di Lucca, is greatly underrated and it seems neglected in regards to possible tourist attractions. . There could be so much more done. Maybe it is because Italy has already so many amazing places to offer that it is difficult to promote all of them.
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By: Renata on September 21, 2013
at 8:43 am
Summer was late coming to Bagni di Lucca this year. It didn’t really get warm until the second half of June. It is up to these communities to promote themselves, and they don’t have any money to do this.
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By: Debra Kolkka on September 22, 2013
at 8:58 am
We were in Barga in June of 2013 and the Little Fiat was in the Fosso. Different days, different spots but still there. Such a warm and welcoming town. We stayed up near the Duomo in a VRBO (vacation rental by owner) property called Villa Speranza. It is a renovated convent and a wonderful apartment. Our hosts, Carla and Anthony, were fabulous!!! I especially enjoyed shopping the local food stores and cooking with such fresh, in season produce. Fabuloso !!!
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By: Bev Meadows-Lein on October 27, 2013
at 3:52 am
Speranza means hope…what a lovely name for a villa. Barga is a particularly lovely town. I’m not surprised you had a great time there. I hope you come back one day.
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By: Debra Kolkka on October 27, 2013
at 6:05 am
Debra, if all goes as planned with my husbands retirement, we will be back in Barga in September/October of 2014 for a few weeks. We want to visit in fall and enjoy a quieter, slower Barga.
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By: Anonymous on October 29, 2013
at 3:59 am
[…] is the most Scottish town in Italy. Click here to find out […]
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By: The Barga Chocolate Festival | Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on December 10, 2013
at 9:02 am
Fantastic place, being Scottish we just had to visit whilst honeymooning in Tuscany. Quite funny hearing locals saying “see ye later”. The wee pub had lots of Scottish memorobilia in it.
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By: Graham Duncan on July 22, 2015
at 6:21 pm
I think it is hilarious to hear Italians break into English with a broad Scottish accent.
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By: Debra Kolkka on July 22, 2015
at 8:46 pm
My grandparents came to Scotland in the early 1900’s.They were Leonello and Armeda Guidi—–I would loved to have seen their birthplace BUT I doubt I ever will.
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By: Evelyn Ann Hughes on July 22, 2015
at 6:43 pm
Italy is not all that far from Scotland. Barga is a beautiful place, you should visit one day.
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By: Debra Kolkka on July 22, 2015
at 8:47 pm
[…] Barga […]
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By: On the Villages – A Frank Angle on January 21, 2016
at 1:14 pm
Debra thank you for taking us to Barga again in person and the blog. Roz & John
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By: tastetravel on August 12, 2017
at 9:44 pm