Itinerary in Garfagnana among villages, canyons and lakes

What to see in Garfagnana? Here is a beautiful itinerary that will lead you to the discovery of the most evocative places in this fascinating area that, although close to important cities such as Lucca, Pisa, Florence and the fashionable Versilia, has remained closed in on itself, building a distinct identity that it still retains today. The itinerary is rather long but can also be covered in stages, depending on what you wish to visit.

The starting point of the itinerary is Lucca, one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Italy. Rich in history and architecture, it has countless attractions. These include: the Cathedral, named after St Martin, which contains valuable works of art and a mysterious labyrinth; the Church of San Michele, a Romanesque Gothic masterpiece; the Guinigi Tower, on the top of which is a hanging garden with large, centuries-old holm oaks; and the Walls, which have embraced the city for 500 years and now form a unique promenade. From Lucca, take state road 12 (the Abetone road) and head north up the Serchio Valley. The first stop is Borgo a Mozzano, where we stop in front of the mysterious Ponte della Maddalena, more commonly known as Ponte del Diavolo (Devil’s Bridge) because of the strange legends surrounding the story of its construction.

From there, take regional road 445 for a stretch to Orrido di Botri, the largest canyon in Tuscany. This spectacular limestone gorge with steep walls (up to 200 metres high) carved deep by the cold waters of the Mariana and Ribellino streams inspired Dante Alighieri’s imagination to shape his infernal landscapes. Back on the SR445, the itinerary continues in the direction of Barga, the classic Tuscan village perched atop a hill where life flows at an irresistibly slow pace. The great poet Giovanni Pascoli was so fascinated by it that he spent 17 years of his life there. Things to see include: the Cathedral of San Cristoforo, with its splendid facade in Alberese stone, which changes hue with the changing light; the Conservatorio di Santa Elisabetta, where you can admire a stupendous altarpiece from the Della Robbia school; the Casa Museo Giovanni Pascoli, in Castelvecchio, where the poet’s manuscripts, diplomas and books are collected; and the baroque Church of Santissima Annunziata.

From Barga, it takes just over 15 kilometres to reach Fornovolasco (a hamlet in the municipality of Fabbriche di Vergemoli) and discover the Grotta del Vento. So called because of the strong air currents that flow through it, it is a beautiful natural cavity that presents an extraordinary variety of aspects of underground karstification. The visit includes the possibility of taking three routes that differ in length and duration. Returning again to the SR445, the next stop is the medieval town of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, considered the capital and green heart of the Garfagnana. Here the following are definitely worth a visit: the Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, inside which is a splendid Della Robbia terracotta and a 15th-century wooden crucifix known as the Black Christ; the Fortress of Mont’Alfonso, one of the most imposing architectural monuments in the Serchio Valley; and the Rocca Ariostesca, dedicated to the poet Ludovico Ariosto, who lived there from 1522 to 1525. In his memory, there is also the Sentiero dell’Ariosto (Ariosto’s Path), an easy hiking trail that runs from the fortress along Via Farini to the bridge over the Turrite Secca.

From Castelnuovo it is easy to stretch out to two unmissable places in the area. The first is Isola Santa (a hamlet of the municipality of Careggine), a small, magical village that seems to have remained immune to the passage of time. Consisting of just a few stone houses with slate roofs and a very characteristic little church, it lies on the banks of an artificial lake (navigable by canoe, kayak or other craft). The second is Lago di Vagli (in the municipality of Vagli Sotto), an immense basin of water built for the production of electricity that shows itself majestically to anyone who reaches it. At the bottom are the ruins of the old village of Fabbriche di Careggine, which reappears as a muddy ghost only on the occasions when the basin is emptied for maintenance work (the last time in 1994). The fulcrum of tourist activities around the lake is the locality of il Bivio, where there are picnic areas, the start of the route to the Ponte Sospeso and the shuttle for the Volo dell’Angelo.