Yesterday took us back to the villages up the Lima valley above Bagni di Lucca, and on the road up to the small ski area of Abetone.
Our fist visit was to Cutigliano - a little community made all the more charming because it had many shops - a butcher, two grocers and an ironmonger, as well as several gift shops. These businesses are viable because of this upper part of the valley benefits from the proximity of the skiers.
Bill had been reading a novel which described a notable battle in 1530 at the village of Gavinana. The troops of the Republic of Florence were vanquished by the enemy (the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor) and the leader of the Florentines, the gallant Francesco Ferrucio was killed as he lay mortally wounded, by one of his own countrymen who was fighting for the other side. His dying words - "you are killing a dead man" - have gone down in history, and, once there was an Italian nation 300 years later, made him a national hero.
Lastly, on the way back we walked down into the valley where there is an ineresting pedestrian suspension bridge. It was built by one Vincento Douglas Scotti (of Scots extraction would you believe) in 1923 to allow the workers in his metalworks to more easily get to their work from their village, which was on the "wrong" side of the valley. The bridge saved them a long trek morning and evening round the head of the valley.
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| Palace of Justice, Cutigliano - the crests of the former Captains of the Mountain (an official from Pistoia put there in 1358 to keep an eye on the rebellious natives) on the wall date to the 14th century |
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| Ferancesco Ferruci (on horse) in the square in Gavinana |
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| Looking back at Gavinana |
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| Barbara on Scotti's bridge. The chasm below is very dramatic and scary, but not shown in photo |
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