Italy, The Stone Bridges

It has been raining cats and dogs the whole night and the whole morning. There was not any opportunity to leave the house until the noon. So, I devoted this time to reading and chatting with my host. Meanwhile, Carlos recommended me to visit two nearby places, which are known primarily for its old stone bridges.

Fortunately, the forecast came true, and the sky has cleared up soon. So, I started my next excursion program.

I arrived to Borgo a Mozzano, a small town, which is situated at the distance of one stop by train from my place. 

This town was first mentioned in 879, and once was the most important center in the Serchio Valley. So, there are some remarkable architectural forms here, including medieval palaces and striking ancient churches.
Obviously, it is not the hot season now, so the city looked deserted.

Still, I came here not to shoot the empty streets, but to see the famous Magdalene Bridge, also known as the Devil's Bridge. Indeed, it looks really unearthly, and it seems almost impossible that it had been built by human hands. There also an old legend, saying that the bridge was built with the help of the Lucifer, who asked some price for his work. The price was the first soul, which would cross the bridge. Surely, the demon wanted to have the human's soul, however, the mason tricked the devil by letting a pig cross the street first.

The bridge has a peculiar shape with a high arch in the middle called the "donkey’s back" while the rest of the arches are asymmetric. The stunning look of the bridge is supported by the sweeping landscape with the green hills.

Another remarkable place near Bagni di Lucca is the city of Castelnuovo. It is the main city of the Carfagnana area, and it is positioned at the merging of the river Serchio with the Turrite Secca. The city itself is beautiful and very cozy to stroll around. Moreover, the experienced people say that the genuinely delicious pizza can be found precisely at the local restaurants of Custelnuovo.

It is another town, where I do not meet people in the streets. Probably, they all are gone to the bigger cities for working. Where are people? Though, there was nobody to answer my question.

I should admit that the bridges in Italy are something exceptional. People always found the source of wonder in these constructions, which miraculously connected the divided banks. I also fall in love with these ancient constructions, built in the Medieval times and preserved till the present time. In truth, there are many bridges at Custelnuovo, so I could not but take time and admire some of them.

I am back home. And again I am at the restaurant 'Da Mamo' eating pasta with tomato sauce. Good food and exceptionally warm service.

Tomorrow I am leaving this pictorial place of Bagni di Lucca and moving to another area of Tuscany with absolutely different scenery. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to visit the neighboring places such as the town of Barga, the hidden mountain villages and the healing thermal spa resorts. Besides, there are so many organized tours for bikers and hikers here. Anyway, now I have many reasons to return to Bagni di Lucca and continue my exploration.