is a medieval
Tuscan city in the north of
Italy , with a total of around 10,000 inhabitants. It lies on a hilltop just outside
Garfagnana - in the portion of the
Serchio Valley located within the
Province Of Lucca . Barga is north of the town of
Lucca .
The hamlet of
Albiano is located opposite Barga in the Serchio Valley.
Founded by the
Lombards , the city grew as a castle surrounded by a line of walls, of which two gates ( and '''Porta Macchiaia''') have survived. The town was well known during the Middle Ages for the manufacture of silk garments, its mills powered by the hydraulic power of the nearby creeks. In the Middle Ages Lucca and
Pisa battled frequently to conquer the wealthy town and the surrounding territory, and later Barga was part of the Florentine dominion, later Duchy and
Grand Duchy Of Tuscany . In
1847 it became part of the
Duchy Of Lucca , mantaining a certain degree of autonomy, until it was annexed to Italy in
1861 .
Other sights include:
- The (11th-16th centuries) is the main example of Romanesque art in the Serchio Valley. Of the original church, built in local limestone, parts of the façade remain. the interior has a nave and two aisles. It houses a great (3.5 m) wooden statue of St. Christopher, patron of the city. Also noteworthy is the Pulpit (12th century), designed by Guido Bigarelli da Como, with four red marble columns resting on lions sculptures
- The church of the , the most ancient of the city, rebuilt in the 15ht century.
- The Baroque church of (1595).
The fraction of Sommocolonia has an interesting (Castle).
There is an annual international opera festival, called "Operabarga", and a long running and very successful jazz festival, "Bargajazz". Recently, Barga has become the home of many painters who exhibit their work in some of the small galleries within the castle walls. Barga is often known as "The Most Scottish Town in Italy" due to the thousands of emigrants who left this area in the last century during the famine to start a new life in
Scotland . Many made their fortunes in the fish and chips and ice cream businesses and return each summer to their home city.
Italian Touring Club has recently assigned the "orange flag" of the "Migliori borghi d'Italia" ("Best villages of Italy"), a distinguished sign recognizing the peculiarity of its beauty and of its quality.
Barga has also been, since 1999, the home of the "European Gnome Sanctuary" run by the
Garden Gnome Liberation Front .
