Garfagnana

 I made a trip over the Apennines into the Garfagnana area east of Lucca. It is an area of Italy that I am very fond of. I had a few places I wanted to visit, but a turn of events changed my destinations.

As I rounded a corner descending down into Tuscany, I was fascinated by a small hamlet clustered around a church set into the mountain. I stopped and grabbed a camera to take a quick look. As I was leaving I said good morning to one of the inhabitants. He offered to show me the inside of the church. He also gave me two locations to see, one of which I will return to when it is open.

Petrognano, Piazza di Serchio, LU

Petrognano, Piazza di Serchio, LU

Petrognano, Piazza di Serchio, LU

Petrognano, Piazza di Serchio, LU

Petrognano, Piazza di Serchio, LU

My main photographic objective, on this trip was the Pieve di San Lorenzo, a Pieve on my Romanic project hitlist. San Lorenzo is nothing special inside, but the bell tower is interesting.

Pieve di San Lorenzo,LU

Pieve di San Lorenzo,LU

Pieve di San Lorenzo,LU

Pieve di San Lorenzo,LU

Another destination was a location in the Alpi Apuani, Campocatino was once the summer camp of the local sheep farmers. It is being converted into holiday lets, to save it from dereliction. I had a good lunch here.

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Campocatino, LU

Borsigliana, one of the destinations the guy I met earlier, recommended. The medieval door lintel was indeed lovely.

Borsigliana

Borsigliana, LU

Borsigliana, LU

Careggine an isolated village in the Alpi Apuani has a very old carving set into the wall of the bell tower. Two very warlike warriors.

Careggine, LU

Careggine, LU

Careggine, LU

Finally, I drove up the valley to Monzone, a rather tatty hilltop village. The church is in a spectacular position.

Monzone MS

Monzone, MS

Monzone, MS