La Torretta is a converted farm-house on a South-facing, terraced hillside overlooking the medieval hilltop town of Barga, in the valley of the Serchio, North of Lucca. In the background rise the jagged peaks of the Apuan Alps, the home of Carrara marble. The area is luxuriant and largely forested, in many places with chestnut, oak and acacia, and so greener than the browns and yellows traditionally associated with Tuscan landscapes further South. The town is high enough, 350 m, for summer evenings to be relatively cool.
Untouched by mass tourism, more than picturesque, Barga is a gem: ancient, immaculate and prosperous, it attracts only the discerning. Historically, the area has close links with Scotland, where many barghigiani emigrated in the early part of the century, often to work in the catering trade.
The house was modernized around 1980 and, while retaining a rustic air, has now been updated to a comfortable standard. Open beams give the main rooms charm. Perhaps its greatest asset is the stunning view over the ochre-coloured town, especially in the evening, when the slanting light accentuates the contrast with the wooded setting. It's a good place for children and dogs, who have plenty of room to scramble. The bread-oven can be used to make authentic pizzas.
The ground floor of the house (130 m2 in all), which was once the cantina for storing wine, consists of the spacious living room and the new fitted kitchen, with washing machine and dishwasher, and a marble worktop. Upstairs, there are three good-sized bedrooms, two on the first floor, with the bathroom, and one in the torretta, giving space to sleep six people in all. The main, double bedroom has its own shower-room and a small balcony. Floors are traditional red tile. There is an adjoining barn, once used for livestock and now for storing garden furniture and other bulky items.
The town of Barga is bigger than most, partly walled and best entered through the Porta Reale, or Mancianella. From the old gate steep little streets, hardly altered in centuries, climb up to the cathedral set on a small plateau at the top. It commands not just Barga as it tumbles downhill, a jumble of red-tiled roofs, but the whole Serchio valley, and the far mountains.
The cathedral has an early 13th-century pulpit, which is a masterpiece of carving, in near-perfect condition. The 13th-century Gothic apse should be seen, as I saw it, with its great doors open, the sun going down, and shadows beginning to darken the Apuane Alps across the valley.
For the enterprising visitor, the region has a rich cultural and natural heritage, and almost every village round about is worth exploring. On certain days of the year, the sun shines through the natural arch of the Monte Forato, visible across the valley.
The hamlet of Albiano, ten minutes' walk from the house, boasts a shop for everyday necessities, the Hotel-Restaurant La Terrazza, and a café. There is a public swimming pool, 15 minutes from Albiano by a pleasant path, at Il Ciocco, a large conference centre behind and above the village, and another in Barga. Walkers will find many possibilities, including a network of well-preserved mule-tracks.
Bar-B-Que
