A hilltop village in the Serchio valley with a cathedral facing the Apuan Alps
Barga, in the Media Valle del Serchio, is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy: a tangle of steep lanes and stairways climbing to the Romanesque cathedral of San Cristoforo, built in pale stone on a grassy terrace. From the lawn in front of the church the view embraces the whole Apuan chain, with the jagged peak of the Pania della Croce.
Inside the cathedral, a marble pulpit supported by lions and the huge wooden statue of St Christopher are its treasures. The poet Giovanni Pascoli lived nearby at Castelvecchio Pascoli, where his house is now a museum. Barga is also famous for its deep ties with Scotland: so many of its inhabitants emigrated there that it is called "the most Scottish town in Italy".
Tip: in summer Barga hosts a jazz festival and an opera festival; in August the Scottish heritage is celebrated with a Fish and Chips festival.
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