Fornaci di Barga and Loppia

Leaving Casa Fontana go right, up the hill towards the Duomo. At the church of SS Croccifissi, the steps on the left lead up to the terrace in front of the Duomo, from which you will get a magnificent view of the Apuane mountains. If the doors are open it is worth going into the Duomo to see the carved marble pulpit and the giant wooden statue of San Cristoforo, the patron saint of Barga. It is said that during the many wars in the 13^th & 14^thC, the statue was held up above the walls to protect the town. Aparently iron arrow tips found in the wood corroborate this legend. Continue across the terrace and down the steep street past the gate (to your left) above which is a small replica of the giant statue. The garden and vineyard beyond the gate are the property of the bell ringers of the Duomo, and every summer there are communal al-fresco dinners or "Cena" in the vineyard.

Continue on down via del Pretorio, past the church and Conservatorio of Santa Elisabetta, and on down to Porta Reale, the main gate into the historic centre. The area to your left, outside the gates is the Fosso, once a moat and later an area for markets and for playing an ancient ball game against the city walls. At the head of the Fosso is a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon (sadly diseased and may have to be felled). Before reaching the tree take the road to the right, via Bellavista, past the entrance gates to the Hotel Villa Libano, and on down to the next bend in the road. Here take the narrow road, via dei frati, to the right, which leads down to the hospital and convent of San Francesco, once a pilgrim hospital and now a modern hospital serving the area. If the gates to the convent are open it is worth a visit, and worth the €1 fee to illuminate the walls with the 15^th century della Robbia terracotta wall plaques.

At the hospital turn left, following the public road down past new house building and old farmhouses. When the tarred road forks, take the road to the right and on down the tarred public road till you reach a small group of houses (Gragnana) At the end of the tarred road there are gates into a private house and on the right two tracks. Take the left track nearest the gate. As you enter the chestnut forest you will have a good aerial view of the metal foundries of Europa Metalli, in Fornaci di Barga. The track rejoins the public road and continues winding down to Fornaci. When you meet the main road turn left and take care as you walk a short distance along the road without pavements (sidewalks). Fornaci is not a pretty town but there are a number of shops, cafes and restaurants so it is worth a browse or stop for a gelato or some lunch.

There is a bus service from Fornaci to Barga but it is not regular and you should check the timetable before you set off if you want to get the bus back.

As you walk through the town, past the main shopping area, look out on the left for a NO ENTRY sign and the via Traversa. Take via Traversa and continue along it till you meet the strada provinciale. On the left is a small church and here you have a choice. You may return directly to Barga or you can take a longer route via Loppia.

For the direct route take the narrow road which runs along the side of the church and is marked with the rea and white sign of the CAI. This road winds up through scattered houses and vineyards and open fields before becoming a grass track and then a path. There is one short steep stetch which has been provided with a rope hand hold as it can be slippery when wet. Shortly after that you rejoin the public road at a yellow house, but immediately after the road swings left and you will continue straight ahead on a grass track between vineyards, that takes you to Villa Biondi, a magnificent 17th century country estate which was won by the family in the 19th century in a game of cards! Walk down the driveway, turn right at the gates and shortly after you will rejoin the road you started on, which leads up to the hospital and back to Barga.

Loppia to Barga

For the route via Loppia, continue along the strada provinciale which leads to Barga. Take great care on this section as there are no pavements (sidewalks). The road takes you along the back of a modern industrial and commercial area, past modern housing, until on your left there is a large and imposing villa on your left. Cross the road here and shortly afterwards the road to the Chiesa di Santa Maria is signposted to the right. Take this road past fields and tree plantations and you will pass the cemetery, and, up to the right, the romanesque church of Loppia dating from the 8-9^thC. In the 14^thC, as a result of the series of wars between Lucca and Florence, Loppia was totally depopulated, the church fell into ruin and its parish was absorbed by Barga. The church was restored in the 16^thC, The track here continues around the north side of the church and joins the modern road to Barga. However we wll continue around the church, back down past the cemetery, containing the impressive tombs of the local families, and turn to the left towards the stone bridge which leads up to Seggio and the road to Tiglio.

Instead of crossing the stone bridge, take the path to the left, following the Loppora stream. There is a sign with a telephone symbol (why?) which says no entry, but you can safely ignore it, and cross the concrete bridge. Follow the vehicle road till you see a corrugated iron shed at the left hand side of the road (there are usually beehives in the grass clearing), then after about 100m, take the grassy track off to the left. This track curves round till it reaches a stream which you can easily ford and cross over to a long grassy clearing, with a bamboo grove up the right hand side. Continue across the clearing and onto the path, which again crosses the stream (there has been an earth slide to the right of the track). There is a fence on your left side and soon you will cross a tarred road. Continue across the road along the bottom of a grassy sloping field (you should see a stonebuilt hay barn up to your right) Keep to the left and cross the stream again above a stone built weir.

The track continues through the woods and you will see an old vehicle abandoned in the woods to the right. Do not turn off here but shortly afterwards an overhead electric line crosses the track. From here you will get a view up to the duomo of Barga. Turn right here and join the well surfaced vehicle track, turning left. Continue along this track until you cross another concrete bridge and then turn right into a grassy meadow (usually full of wildflowers) at the far end of which you should see the remains of a brick shed. Continue onto the track here and you will come to a crossroads which is currently churned up by forestry works. Do not turn off but continue for about 10 metres, looking out for a narrow path leading up to the left (it has been marked with red tape but that may not remain!) Follow this path up through the woods. It is used by the shepherd to move his flock from pasture to pasture, and is quite steep and obstructed by fallen trees which you must clamber over, under or around. The path continues up through the forest till you get to a wooden handrail; here turn right and continue along the path which has been marked with tape at some time. parts are overgrown and there are a number of sections of wooden handrail.

This path curves round beneath the conglomerate rock (pebbles in soft matrix) outcrop on which the duomo was built. Part of the outcrop has been butressed with brick arches to support the duomo, and the path then leads up, beneath a concrete terrace, onto via della Fornacetta, right outside the Porta Macchiaia. Turn left, enter the gate and you are back on via di Mezzo only a short walk back to Casa Fontana.