Off the beaten track – exploring Garfagnana and discovering Campocatino and Vagli Sotto

18^th of August 2013

One evening I came across a brochure for the region of Garfagnana lying in the province of Tuscany and it sparked a curiosity within me. I have never heard about this region before and the descriptions of the various places seemed so enticing that I had an urge to go out there and explore. 

After much coaxing and the fortunate wish of Anna and Roberto who wanted to spend a day in the mountains, we finally set off on our day trip from Monterosso into unknown territory.



The highlighted green line is the route that we followed through Garfagnana

 

 

We had a late start to our day and after an hour of winding through forest roads we came to Aulla. A short distance after we passed the fortress proudly standing watch over the town, we found a quaint restaurant and had a fulfilling plate of pasta and glass of red wine.

 

A lunch stop at the restaurant Vecchio Bruxelles in Aulla

 

We continued on winding through the beautiful forest. The forest floor is covered in ferns with creepers that wind themselves around the bark of the trees and cascade down from the branches adding to the fullness of the green canopy. I was quite distracted by the beautiful forest and the dry leaves floating through the air as the breeze gentle blew them off the trees that I did not realise that we were slowly climbing up the mountain with each curve.

Before I realised, my breath was taken away as I looked up and saw these looming mountains, with their marble white façade glaring down at us. The peaks of the mountains in this area can be as high as 1 800m. As we climbed higher and higher up the mountain pass, the view got more magnificent. The immense panorama of how the mountains seemed to pleat in to each other with the high peaks glaring down at you, gave you the impression that the mountains could swallow you whole with their grandeur.

 

When the forest offered a clearing, we spotted a cluster of stone houses topped with red roofs and fortresses or castles.

 

After another hour and following a spider web of roads, we had finally reached our first destination, Campocatino, a petite village lying at the bottom of a basin that was moulded by an ancient suspended glacier and covered by lush grass.

 

Campocatino, once housed shepherds during the summer pasture season

 

The vertiginous Mount Roccandagia looms over this beautiful basin and the characteristic stone houses which are scattered about the basin, were once used by shepherds during the summer pasture.

Mount Roccandagio towering over Campocantino

If one finds themselves travelling off the beaten track in this area I would advise packing a basket of treats and having a picnic under the trees lining the green pastures and then exploring the characteristic houses made of stone.

The stone houses in Campocantino are still inhabited

I would also recommend the short walk to discover the monastery of San Viviano which is built inside a natural cavity situated right in the centre of a rock face. Unfortunately time did not allow us to discover this hidden gem. It is about a 45 minute walk from Campocatino. The footpath can be found to the left of the statue of the shepherd and his dog and the fountain offering you a drink of fresh mountain water. 

 

Campocantino

 

We then descended to the two towns Vagli Sopra (sopra means above or on top) and then to Vagli Sotto (sotto means underneath or at the bottom).

The view of Vagli Sopra and Vagli Sotto from Campocantino

The fame of Vagli is linked to the ‘ghost town’ which emerges covered in mud when a large reservoir is emptied. However, as the reservoir seemed full we did not see the ghost town but did explore Vagli Sotto, a small town built on top of a promontory stretching into the centre of the lake.

Approaching Vagli Sotto

It is a quaint town and so quiet that you would think this is the ghost town but it was fun running through the narrow cobbled stone streets, past the stone walls and wooden windows framed by bright red geraniums, while the elderly townsfolk where enjoying a bit of a chat under their pergolas. I could just imagine how they must have spoken about the mad woman running around with her camera, absorbing the sights and sounds of Vagli Sotto and snapping shots.

 

The streets of Vagli Sotto

 

Vagli Sotto is truly a characteristic Italian village and does not offer an abundance of sights but its charm and the beautiful setting is well worth a visit. Dad and I came across the beautiful stoned church of St. Agostino, a gem of Romanesque architecture. We also discovered a fountain with a continuous stream of water. Never has water tasted so sweet or the splash of water felt as refreshing as at this fountain.

 

 St. Agostino in Vagli Sotto

 

I did not see any shops or cafés in Vagli Sotto but only one bar as you enter the town. I recommend stopping and having a quick coffee or an ice-cream, sharing the veranda with a group of elderly men who I am sure meet at this bar every afternoon when the heat of the day has past and a cool breeze blows through the valley.

 

Last glance at Vagli Sotto before returning home

 

The day had caught up to us and it was time to make our 2 hour journey back to Monterosso. We followed the road along the lake to Castelnuovo Garfagnana and thereafter continued to Isola Santa, winding along with the bends of the river called Turrite Secca before descending to Massa and catching the autostrada to Monterosso.

It was a lovely drive offering many beautiful surprises. A little way before we reached Isola Santa we discovered a trout farm along the river by the big water wheel slowly turning. The building must have once been an old mill. As we approached Isola Santa, my breath was suddenly taken away just as suddenly as this little town pops into sight. As we drove past I must have counted about only 15 little stone houses, tightly packed on top of each other around a church.

We continued to follow the curve of the river through an avenue of trees. The mountains on our right were casting a shadow over the road while on our left the mountains were still glowing brightly with sunshine.

 

The mountains surrounding Massa are excavated for marble. From a distance, the marble in the mountains gives an illusion that they are covered with snow.

 

I must disclaim that the roads are extremely curvy which was quite evident on our descent to Massa. The road felt as if a child had taken a crayon and scribbled a zig-zag pattern across the mountain. However, the views do make up for it.

 

Views of the villages clustered within the mountains surrounding Massa

 

 When we arrived back in Monterosso we were pleasantly surprised by a most romantic sight. Hundreds of red and yellow candles were floating out to sea from the harbour. Each year, as a custom and tradition, the candles are lit and are left to drift out to sea in respect for Mortis et Orationis Oratory (Black Confraternity), the church in Monterosso commonly known as the church of the dead as in the past, this is where they used to lie the dead before the funeral took place. Going further back into history, the confraternity, which dressed in black robes, dates back to the 17^th century and was dedicated to aiding widows, orphans and the shipwrecked. Inside the church there is a statue of Saint Anthony the Abbot who used to live in the convent by the same name on Punta Mesco.

Sitting on the harbour wall, listening to live jazz music, watching the red and yellow lights drift slowly into the shimmering reflection of the light of the moon on the sea, I thought to myself, magical moments do not come alive in Italy; they are born in Italy.