A TOUR OF BAGNI DI LUCCA - A FORGOTTEN PARADISE

[@franpie2264]

Hello Enzo and Celia. I was born in Bagni Di Lucca in 1951. My name is Franca and I am so happy to have come across your video. I was born in the 3 story white house (2nd level) next door to the Casino. I was so overcome with happiness when I saw my birth home. Apparently the people who live in the ground floor are relatives but I don't know them. MY parents left for Australia when I was 6 months old. Now I am nearly 72 but my heart feels very strong feelings for Bagni Di Lucca. I often say I am going to move back to Italia. I will happily watch some of your other videos. I am full of emotion right now so will say ciao for now. 😊💖💖😊

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Cara Franca, Which was your home next to the Casinò, right or left when facing the building? I think you would enjoy the video if you haven't already seen it when I interviewed Paola who emigrated from Vico Pancellorum to Canada just after the war. Her heart as well is in Bagni di Lucca. Talking to her was such a joy and learning about life in the valley at that time was a live history lesson. Having you join our community is a real honour . I will also reply to your lovely email. The link to Paola's video is kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJDQfGBoqcpjf80

[@franpie2264]

Dear Celia, when facing the Casino the house on the left was my birth place.

[@PrinceSnoopy]

Wow what a beautiful post! I hope you get to visit soon 🙏🏼💕

[@gianlucavisca3419]

Bagni di Lucca and its Baths and Garfagnana with its beautiful towns and villages and magnificent Apuanian Alps landscapes will return soon to the splendors of the past. Beatiful video...thanks for posting..!!! And don't forget to visit Barga which is considered the most "Scottish" town in Italy...there is even a Scottish festival there to celebrate the event... Ciao TOSCANA FELIX 1 😀😀😀

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you for your comment and love of our corner of Tuscany, a hidden gem. We have been meaning to film in Barga a for ages. Its duomo is magnificent and it has a rich cultural life including as you mentioned the Scottish connection.

[@bettyblanchette7324]

We are staying in Bagni di Lucca tonight, lovely place😀

[@maryviolasse4145]

Gorgeous.....so easy to imagine the gentility of those times.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

There is a decadent elegance in Bagni di Lucca

[@maryviolasse4145]

My kind of decadence, decidedly!!!@@PiazzaTalkLucca

[@marcogallifine]

Ciao Enzo & Cel, che piacere vedere i vostri video, ci siamo conosciuti a Lucca di fronte alla lavorazione di una serranda in via san paolino! Grazie per questo splendido video molto utile!

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Ciao. Che sorpresa! Ricordiamo benissimo quando ci raccontasti la preparazione e il lavoro delle serrande. Grazie per le belle parole sul nostro video. Saluti

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Volevo anche aggiungere alla risposta sotto che abbiamo avuto dei momenti bellissimi aiutando un po' con la cartapesta e la pittura su un carro del Carnevale di Viareggio, quello della famiglia Lebigre Roger, e abbiamo fatto anche tre video. Questo è il link del video sul lavoro dietro le quinte. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp7Li4yplrF7e5Y

[@jbraswel1]

Fantastic introduction to Bagni di Lucca. I feel in love with the area when I was there last year, and your videos really bring it alive! Thanks for sharing.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you , for your lovely comment and shared love of this area.

[@Davidtravels09]

In two weeks I will holiday in Lucca for my fourth time, thanks to your wonderful videos I have added a number of your recommendations and places to visit to my schedule, I have cycled past Bagni di Lucca so many times but never stopped there to experience it!! Your local knowledge, passion, and sincerity makes for very enjoyable viewing. Grazie

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. It makes it all worthwhile.

[@paulscase4734]

Great tour, we have been a few times, but never knew we had missed so much. Visiting again in September so the video was perfect timing - Many Thanks to you both, keep up the good work, Love all the video’s.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

So happy the video has help you discover new parts of Bagni. We will be doing many more on the area. Thank you so much for your lovely comment.

[@johncburke2517]

The train station was a good place to start your informative vlog, trains can be the lifeblood of any area, villages and communities. The station itself is very interesting with the statues, seating and relaxing atmosphere, certainly better than the normal hustle and bustle of major city cities, busy train stations. Thank you for the information on the areas and villages, and good luck with your future projects. Ciao, John, UK

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you for your comment. The station won an award for the prettiest station on the line from Lucca to Aulla. It needs a bit of TLC at the moment but with a bit of grass cutting and painting of the pumps , the marble benches already make it rather special.

[@louisetoman42]

Beautiful it’s amazing what’s behind those big doors I’m sure we have passed this many times without knowing what treasure lay behind the big black door hopefully we get to see this next year thanks for the video

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

I agree, there are so many hidden treasures in our city.

[@talesfromtuscany]

My husband David used to visit Bagni di Lucca with his family and truly enjoyed it. I'm yet to visit but I'm sure we will get there one day soon. Thank you for sharing with us. 🥰🤗

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

I'm sure you'll love this corner of paradise

[@luciafortunato6972]

Very nice walk in Bagni di Lucca. I've visited for short vacations and leading student trips many times over the years . . . traveling by both train and car! Had one very special dinner with students at the Circolo dei Forestieri. The city is charming and so rich with history. Hope that more renovations can take place to preserve it's unique character.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

How wonderful that you're bringing students to our area.

[@fhugheveleigh2]

Lovely to see the old haunts and especially Bar Italia (my town haunt for some years) and the piazza in La Villa - my favourite place in Bagni. The Villa Ada seems always to be in a state of flux and was so when I first lived in Pieve in the mid 90s. You are quite right to say that it is an impressive structure but I suppose a lot of upkeep even when restored. My first meal on arrival in Bagni was also in the Circolo and like you I agree that it has a certain feel of being back in time , touching on the decadent you refer to which I have also felt in Capri or in parts of Capri at least. The food was good and as you say very reasonable in price. By the way the coat of arms you see in the Farmacia is not referred to as a 'crest' but an 'Achievement of Arms' and as you say they are the Arms of the UK surrounded by the collar of the Order of the Garter. I would hazard that the Arms are governmental, not personal to the monarch of the time (Probably Queen Victoria/King Edward VII) as the arms are missing the full crest. (The crest is everything that appears above the helmet.) The heraldic style is Victorian. I must also add that I too have never been on the balcony overlooking the river at the Circolo. At the time I was living in Pieve overlooking Bagni there was much talk and a small amount of action to create a 'foreigners' club' with the restaurant, afternoon tea, card games, English newspapers, etc in the Circolo. It stuttered into life and quietly died a death soon after. But who knows, if all the restorations ever get completed, the baths become fashionable, the theatre attracts stars ... who knows what might be in store. Thank you for the video.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

About the Arms we are going to ask Massimo, the chemist, who wasn't there when we filmed, why they were granted it. After the recent 'historical developments', the number of Brits spending lots of time in Bagni di Lucca (but also in Tuscany and in Italy) has declined so it would be quite an achievement to start a foreign club with British newspapers, tea, etc, now...

[@VillageViewPost]

I enjoyed this tour very much. I just left Montecateni and this town would have been a wonderful place to visit. I will surely go there the next time I’m in Italia. 💐🥰🇮🇹

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

There are many hidden treasure around us and we hope to be able to share as many as possible.

[@davidmay6417]

Hi Celia and Enzo Really liked the tour it never ceases to amaze me the hidden history of the area. I will be back in Lucca and BdL in September maybe we will bump into each other again. Dave

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you, hope to see you soon.

[@OldNotSoBoring]

Coming in March 2024 looking for our retirement location, this video was a wonderful introduction. Thank you!

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Hope you find your perfect bit of paradise. Bagni di Lucca is such a beautiful area .

[@ericdarkins3370]

Thank you we have a holiday home in Fornoli and have learned a lot from your blogs.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you for being part of our community.

[@Patrizia-IT]

Thank you so much for this tour. We’ll be visiting next spring, hoping to find a home in the town or villages. Your video helped to orient us in the community) better than we’ve been able to do with google maps) 😊

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

We wish you luck in your search for your corner of paradise

[@azian1000]

Thank you for the tour, really gives a good idea of the area!! 😊

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you , this is just an introductory tour for a gentle day in Bagni.

[@jehmaccabee8083]

I'm really enjoying your videos, thank you. I was supposed to be visiting Lucca in a couple of weeks (pet-sitting!) but it was cancelled. I'm researching this area with a view to buying my dream home (having had to sell my dream home in Spain) so watching your channel is really helping to give me a flavour :).

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you , for your kind words, we are sorry that your pet sitting didn't work out and hope you find your dream home.

[@MelU.K-yf2xl]

Hello Celia and Enzo I have enjoyed watching your introductory video. We are coming to visit in 2 weeks and look at a few properties for sale in the area. It looks really beautiful. I have subscribed and will watch the next video soon. Thank you Mel

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

How exciting that you are thinking of buying in the Bagni di Lucca area. What kind of property are you looking for?

[@jearnott]

Celia, do you live there? I am thinking of attending an historical event in June 2025 and, having seen your video, am now very tempted. There will be walks and a ball in the Casino - all in period costume of around 1800 - and we will be bathing in the Baths too, so keep an eye open for us! Ciao, Sir James

[@nellasnaidero5238]

Love this vlog..thankyou for sharing such a lovely place…I will definitely visit next time ❤

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Bagni di Lucca is a forgotten Gem

[@micheleg.2244]

Frequentavo Lucca spessissimo e quando potevo andavo a contemplare il ponte della Maddalena, anche di sera. Ricordo anche la sagra di Barga.. Un saluto da Liverpool

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Grazie! Saluti anche a te. Passiamo spesso la sera, specie di inverno, vicino al Ponte della Maddalena. E' davvero molto suggestivo.

[@SilvioVizzini]

Hi, we went several times in Bagni and met very beautiful people. This is one of the reasons, may be the main, why we love this place.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

It makes us so happy when people love this forgotten gem.

[@wendypratt6090]

Lovely video! Great passion!

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Bagni is a decadent forgotten gem, with an elegance that gives joy to us. The nature in the area is outstanding.

[@musicadafavola]

Bellissima!!!!!

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Grazie!

[@佐藤友啓-j3p]

Mr. Enzo we met a few years ago in Lucca. Thank you for nice video. You two live in Bagno di Lucca ?

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you for watching our video. We are in Bagni di Lucca when the house is not rented out. Saluti.

[@bcorleone27]

Thank you for this nice tour. We will be in Lucca in 2 weeks, and staying for 2 months. i know the train goes to Fornoli, we did this last time we were in Lucca. The walk from the station into Fornoli was nice, but I now want to see some of the villages beyond there and that would be a really long walk. Where do we buy bus tickets in Fornoli and catch a bus to Bagni di Lucca? We loved that beautiful area and want to see it again. It would make a great day away from Lucca for us. Maybe will will run into you along the way. 😊

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

The buses don't always meet the trains for Lucca. The walk is about 15 to 20 minutes but is rather dangerous as there is no pavement. There are buses from Lucca that take you to Ponte a Serraglio if you would like to follow our tour., they continue onto La Villa , the main part of Bagni. Also in the description box below the video we leave numbers for a taxi .

[@MikeAPRN]

Beautiful. How are Enzo's tomatoes doing? They deserve a video of their own! Grazie!

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you for your compliment. You have noticed Enzo's devotion to tomatoes. This year we haven't been able to grow them as we have rented the farmhouse to holiday makers and the tomatoes need to be tended. We are lucky to friends who grow them.

[@TuscanyTwosome]

Thanks for your videos. In a past video you mentioned something about closing the big doors/gates of old Lucca during a special anniversary celebration some years ago. Would love to hear more about that! It sounds like something very unique to Lucca as there’s probably not too many towns with walls/doors intact. Would be interested re: how it made you feel, how long the doors were closed, how difficult it was to close them, why they were closed, what the anniversary was and how it was celebrated, what other Lucca residents remember, etc. Maybe it would make a wonderful video in and of itself?? Perhaps there are photos of the giant doors being closed? We appreciate all that you do!

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Not all the gates still have doors. but in 2013 there was a celebration of 500 years for the walls. Lucca is one of very few cities in the world with complete. walls. It was a strange feeling with the drums laying and the large wooden doors of Porta Santa Maria closing. I felt more in danger rather than safer! I am not sure we have pictures but when we do video on the gates I will see if I can find some.

[@paolacammarota356]

Bagni di Lucca è deliziosa ❤️

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Sono più che d'accordo!

[@2quintly]

I traveled there in June. Not much cooler than Lucca (this year). You didn't mention that crossing the bridge you can walk to the English Cemetery where Rose Cleveland is resting. Quite an interesting side story on her relationship (etc.) I drove, but between motorcycles & bicyclists it is a bit difficult to navigate the area. Definitely wish I could have spent more time there (and the area) especially if it would have been cooler.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

At the moment it is quite pleasant in Bagni di Lucca 20C/68F in the morning and 25C/77F during the day. It will get a bit warmer in the next few days but not another heatwave in sight. I hope in your next visit you will get a more enjoyable temperature. We wanted to give a first quick overlook at the place but there is quite a lot to discover and we'll do it in future episodes. The English Cemetery is an extraordinary place and will require a full episode to describe. Also the story of Evangelina Whipple and Rose Cleveland is certainly a story we will tell. Celia wrote an article about it years ago.

[@MrFambrini]

Hope you made it through the storm ok. How bad was it near you?

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Thank you so much for thinking of us. We are fine. We had rain for nearly two weeks but in the last days, it got worse. We had terrible gusts of wind last night. We decided to film what we found in the morning and re-edit the video we were posting today. This also explains why we posted it later. Thank you again.

[@deryaford6196]

Where are the people ? What Italians do in hot summer days at home?

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

I can't remember exactly when we filmed this but I think it was around lunchtime. Italians tend to come out early in the morning and the evening on hot summer days.

[@AllisonMoody-w9h]

My partners granny came from Bagni de lucca,his surname is Rossi,any information?

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

Rossi is one of the most common names in Italy and there are many Rossi families in Bagni di Lucca. We know several different Rossi families. To find out more you would need more information and then contact the village Parish.

[@AllisonMoody-w9h]

@@PiazzaTalkLucca thank you,we are hoping to visit next year.

[@PiazzaTalkLucca]

I hope you cab find your partner's relatives.