Fornaci di Barga
Encyclopedia
Fornaci di Barga is a frazione
of Barga
in the Province of Lucca
, Tuscany
, Italy
. It is located 165 m above sea level, on the left bank of the river Serchio
.
river. The population was constituted from farmers, fishermen and breeders of cattle who traded their products with the Versiliesi (traders from Versilia
, the coastal region of Tuscany
) in exchange for spices. A war between the citizens of Lucca
and Pope Gregory IX
(1230) caused the exodus of the population of Caterozzo and some of the nearby villages to the Apennine mountains. The activity of the "Caterozzo’s Furnaces" which took advantage of the rich deposits of clay, increased in the first half of the 15th century. The village was increasingly becoming, around the various brick-kilns, what would be the centre of today’s Fornaci vecchia. Ancient documents mention the castle of Catarozzo, a sign that the village was protected by castle walls, no trace of which remain today .. Thanks to the "Furnaces of Caterozzo" families the pieve of Loppia, of which only the perimeter walls, the facade and the apse remained, was reconstructed and in 1522 was reopened to the faithful. As the village evolved its name changed to become the present one. Of the ancient brick-kilns only one survives to the present day, completely restored and transformed into a shopping centre. The main expansion of the village happened, however, during the first world war thanks to the building, in 1915, of a branch of Societa’ Metallurgica Italiana belonging to the Orlando Group, an ammunition factory that provided jobs to thousands of people. As a consequence many new houses had to be built for the workers, which resulted in the Fornaci of the present day . Today the factory has lost a large part of its original purpose and has become specialized in the working of copper and its alloys. In the first years of the present century, with the advent of the euro, the factory, today called KME Group
, started to produce coins. Consequently the village is now called “Fornaci, the village where the euro is born”. These days the village has become enriched by many shops and has become the commercial centre of the Serchio
valley and its Garfagnana
neighbour.
, blessed its foundation stone on May 22, 1971 and consecrated the church on September 27, 1974. The church was built on land given to the parish by Società Metallurgica Italiana which also donated copper for the roof. Remarkable inside the church is the mosaic of Christ. The notable bronze covering of the main door of the church is the work of professor Franco Pegonzi http://www.francopegonzi.it/, created in commemoration of the Holy Jubilee Year 2000 http://www.parrocchie.it/fornacidibarga/porta_santa.htm. In the neighbourhood of the church is located the pretty park "Felice Menichini" with a playground for children and a general purpose sports field for others. The church of Santissimo Nome di Maria in Fornaci Vecchia was erected in 1741 and is of more traditional architecture. It is loved by those people who prefer old memories and slightly less adventuristic architecture. The church became a parish church in 1923 and an “arcipretura” in 1962. Of indisputable beauty is the Romanesque pieve of Saint Maria Assumpta in Loppia. Probably already built in the 6th century, it is certain that the pieve was restored at the beginning of the second millennium at the request of countess Beatrice di Canossa and was reconsecrated on Saturday February 4, 1058 by the bishop of Lucca, Anselmo da Baggio, the future Pope Alexander II
. A museum has been created in what was once the research centre of Società Metallurgica Italiana. This museum, of national importance, is managed by the Ing. Luigi Orlando Foundation and contains the correspondence, the archive documents, the technical drawings and samples of machinery that was used in the several plants of the group and is of great value, both historically and culturally. One of the curiosities, certainly not for its artistic value, which should be mentioned is the " fontanina dell' amore" , surrounded by nature in the northern part of the village. A poem by the poet Geri di Gavinana has been dedicated to this fountain and to the lovers who visit it looking for a secluded place. A plaque positioned on the fountain reminds the poem. Because Fornaci lies in a part of the country which is rich in history and of unspoilt natural beauty and far from mass tourism, and because it has its own tourist facilities, it is ideal as a base for touring the Media Valle del Serchio
and Garfagnana
.
The most important of the village festivals are:
The weekly market is held on Friday mornings.
. Public transport services http://www.vaibus.it/ are available for those without cars.
· Train http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/http://www.bellezzedellatoscana.it/Treni/Stazioni_Ferroviarie/Toscana/Lucca/Fornaci-Di-Barga/75.htm: the railway station is close to the centre of the village and connects Fornaci to Lucca
in approximately half an hour and to Pisa
in approximately one hour. From this station the seriously ill poet Giovanni Pascoli
left for Bologna
and his illustrious remains returned here from Bologna on April 10, 1912 by special train, in order to be interred in his house in Castelvecchio Pascoli.
· Air: the nearest airport is "G.Galilei" in Pisa
http://www.pisa-airport.com/ which is served directly by rail.
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of Barga
Barga
Barga is a medieval town and comune of the province of Lucca in Tuscany, central Italy. It is home to around 10,000 people and is the chief town of the "Media Valle" of the Serchio.-Geography:...
in the Province of Lucca
Province of Lucca
The Province of Lucca is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lucca.It has an area of 1,773 km², and a total population of 372,244...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is located 165 m above sea level, on the left bank of the river Serchio
Serchio
At 126 kilometres the Serchio is the third longest river in the Italian region of Tuscany, coming after the Arno and the Ombrone...
.
History
The first historically documented evidence of Fornaci goes back to approximately 1000AD. The ancient village took the name of Caterozzo, today just the name of one of the four districts of Fornaci. Probably the name comes from “cala” meaning water and “tur” meaning passage, which joined together means ford, describing the original swampy territory on which the first village rose, frequently flooded by the SerchioSerchio
At 126 kilometres the Serchio is the third longest river in the Italian region of Tuscany, coming after the Arno and the Ombrone...
river. The population was constituted from farmers, fishermen and breeders of cattle who traded their products with the Versiliesi (traders from Versilia
Versilia
The Versilia is a part of Tuscany in the north-western province of Lucca, and is named after the Versilia river.Known for fashionable Riviera resorts, it consists of numerous clubs that are frequented by local celebrities....
, the coastal region of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
) in exchange for spices. A war between the citizens of Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
and Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
(1230) caused the exodus of the population of Caterozzo and some of the nearby villages to the Apennine mountains. The activity of the "Caterozzo’s Furnaces" which took advantage of the rich deposits of clay, increased in the first half of the 15th century. The village was increasingly becoming, around the various brick-kilns, what would be the centre of today’s Fornaci vecchia. Ancient documents mention the castle of Catarozzo, a sign that the village was protected by castle walls, no trace of which remain today .. Thanks to the "Furnaces of Caterozzo" families the pieve of Loppia, of which only the perimeter walls, the facade and the apse remained, was reconstructed and in 1522 was reopened to the faithful. As the village evolved its name changed to become the present one. Of the ancient brick-kilns only one survives to the present day, completely restored and transformed into a shopping centre. The main expansion of the village happened, however, during the first world war thanks to the building, in 1915, of a branch of Societa’ Metallurgica Italiana belonging to the Orlando Group, an ammunition factory that provided jobs to thousands of people. As a consequence many new houses had to be built for the workers, which resulted in the Fornaci of the present day . Today the factory has lost a large part of its original purpose and has become specialized in the working of copper and its alloys. In the first years of the present century, with the advent of the euro, the factory, today called KME Group
KME Group
The KME Group is one of the world's largest copper producers. It was formed from the merging of several copper producers: Kabelmetal AG in Osnabrück , Stolberger Metallwerke, Tréfimétaux SA in France, and Europa Metalli.The Group is under the majority ownership of the SMI ....
, started to produce coins. Consequently the village is now called “Fornaci, the village where the euro is born”. These days the village has become enriched by many shops and has become the commercial centre of the Serchio
Serchio
At 126 kilometres the Serchio is the third longest river in the Italian region of Tuscany, coming after the Arno and the Ombrone...
valley and its Garfagnana
Garfagnana
Garfagnana is an historical region of Italy, today part of the province of Lucca in the Apennines, in northwest Tuscany, but before the unification of Italy it belonged to the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, ruled by the Este family. For a short time, in the 16th century, it was governed by the poet...
neighbour.
Attractions
The central square, named 4 November and recently restructured, is the heart of the activities and the life of Fornaci. It accommodates the main events of the village and provides a meeting place for people in their free time, thanks also to the adjacent gelateria, bars, pubs and restaurants. The central square opens onto the Via Repubblica, the main street of the village on which are situated many shops, giving rise to the slogan “100 shops having a single display window”. On some festival days, for example May 1 and June 2 , the road is closed to traffic and transformed into a pedestrian area. The church of Christ Redentore, constructed in a modern style, is the main church of Fornaci. It is located in the centre of the village, in Don Minzoni square. Monsignor Matteucci, archbishop of PisaPisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, blessed its foundation stone on May 22, 1971 and consecrated the church on September 27, 1974. The church was built on land given to the parish by Società Metallurgica Italiana which also donated copper for the roof. Remarkable inside the church is the mosaic of Christ. The notable bronze covering of the main door of the church is the work of professor Franco Pegonzi http://www.francopegonzi.it/, created in commemoration of the Holy Jubilee Year 2000 http://www.parrocchie.it/fornacidibarga/porta_santa.htm. In the neighbourhood of the church is located the pretty park "Felice Menichini" with a playground for children and a general purpose sports field for others. The church of Santissimo Nome di Maria in Fornaci Vecchia was erected in 1741 and is of more traditional architecture. It is loved by those people who prefer old memories and slightly less adventuristic architecture. The church became a parish church in 1923 and an “arcipretura” in 1962. Of indisputable beauty is the Romanesque pieve of Saint Maria Assumpta in Loppia. Probably already built in the 6th century, it is certain that the pieve was restored at the beginning of the second millennium at the request of countess Beatrice di Canossa and was reconsecrated on Saturday February 4, 1058 by the bishop of Lucca, Anselmo da Baggio, the future Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the celibacy of the clergy...
. A museum has been created in what was once the research centre of Società Metallurgica Italiana. This museum, of national importance, is managed by the Ing. Luigi Orlando Foundation and contains the correspondence, the archive documents, the technical drawings and samples of machinery that was used in the several plants of the group and is of great value, both historically and culturally. One of the curiosities, certainly not for its artistic value, which should be mentioned is the " fontanina dell' amore" , surrounded by nature in the northern part of the village. A poem by the poet Geri di Gavinana has been dedicated to this fountain and to the lovers who visit it looking for a secluded place. A plaque positioned on the fountain reminds the poem. Because Fornaci lies in a part of the country which is rich in history and of unspoilt natural beauty and far from mass tourism, and because it has its own tourist facilities, it is ideal as a base for touring the Media Valle del Serchio
Serchio
At 126 kilometres the Serchio is the third longest river in the Italian region of Tuscany, coming after the Arno and the Ombrone...
and Garfagnana
Garfagnana
Garfagnana is an historical region of Italy, today part of the province of Lucca in the Apennines, in northwest Tuscany, but before the unification of Italy it belonged to the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, ruled by the Este family. For a short time, in the 16th century, it was governed by the poet...
.
Society and culture
There are many small associations that make the village alive in various fields (sport, theatre, cultural, commerce, etc). The most active and long-standing of these in the life of the village are:- US Fornaci, a soccer club founded in 1928 http://www.usdfornaci1928.it/. The greatest achievements of this club were to reach league C in the soccer championship of 1940-41, and to organise the annual "Ciminiera d' Argento" event, presented by Franco Ligas, which gives prizes to sports personalities who have distinguished themselves in their specialities on a national and international level. Examples of these personalities are Mario CipolliniMario CipolliniMario Cipollini , often abbreviated to "Cipo", is a retired Italian professional road cyclist most noted for his sprinting ability, the longevity of his dominance and his colourful personality. His nicknames include Il Re Leone and Super Mario...
, Juri Chechi, Omar SivoriOmar SivoriEnrique Omar Sívori was an Italian Argentine football striker and manager. He is known for his time with the successful Juventus side during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At club level he also played for River Plate and Napoli.On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine...
, Andrea LucchettaAndrea LucchettaAndrea Lucchetta is an Italian former volleyball player who was World champion with his national team in 1990. He was born in Treviso and is nicknamed "Crazy Lucky" for his bizarre hair style....
, Bruno Pizzul and Fabrizio Maffei. During the last few years the club has concentrated mainly on younger players, and with its 250 players in the various teams it represents one of the more important soccer nurseries in the entire Lucca area.
- Gruppo mineralogico paleontologico (1973)http://www.buffardello.it/attivita/progetti/Miniere%20e%20lavorazione%20del%20ferro_files/gruppo%20mineralogico.htmhttp://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/ist/luogo/gruppomineralogicofornacibarga.html
- Theatre group " The Mercantidarte" (1981) http://www.mercantidarte.it/ which prepares shows and organizes amateur theatrical seasons in the Theatre G. Pascoli of Fornaci.
- Judo Club Fornaci (1963) which numbers some Italian champions amongst its various athletes.
- Comitato Fornaci Vecchia. Which organises the prizes "Fornacino dell' anno" and "Aia d' Argento".
- Moto Club Fornaci
- Sport Fishing Club Fornaci.
- Volley Club Fornaci http://www.pallavolofornaci.8k.com/
- Cycle Club Fornaci.
- Schola cantorum (1939).
- CIPAF (Traders, Manufacturers, Professionals, Fornaci Craftsmen)http://www.fornacishopping.it/
- Comitato paesano.
The most important of the village festivals are:
- the patron saint’s day (St. Anthony, Abbot on 17 January, with its fair which is held in the old part of the village);
- the first of May, a celebration of flowers and motor vehicles which attracts thousands of people from the neighbourhood every year. This event started in 1960 on the initiative of the Fornaci Motorcycle Club and has been joined over the years by the Gruppo mineralogico paleontologico, US Fornaci, the Volley Club Fornaci, and the Sport Fishing Club;
- In the month of May, at sunset, it is traditional to recite the rosary close to the several "maestaine" (roadside shrines in stone or brick containing the image of the Madonna). These shrines are located in various parts of the village and on these occasions are adorned with fresh flowers and lit by small candles.
- In the month of June the festival of Christ Redeemer takes place when the streets leading to the church are decorated with flowers. This festival (the third Sunday in June) is preceded by competitions between different parts of the village (Rione Case Operaie, Centro, Caterozzo, Fornaci Vecchia). These culminate in the Riondama, a game of draughts played with human pieces in costume;
- In the month of August the Comitato Fornaci Vecchia awards the Aia d’Argento prize for sport, social and cultural achievements;
- In the commercial area of Fornaci, in the first fortnight of August, takes place "Agosto a Fornaci" organised by CIPAF when shops are open till late at night and there are commercial promotions, folklore initiatives and entertainment.
The weekly market is held on Friday mornings.
Transport
· Car: Fornaci can be reached from Lucca by means of the SS Lodovica road which continues into the heart of GarfagnanaGarfagnana
Garfagnana is an historical region of Italy, today part of the province of Lucca in the Apennines, in northwest Tuscany, but before the unification of Italy it belonged to the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, ruled by the Este family. For a short time, in the 16th century, it was governed by the poet...
. Public transport services http://www.vaibus.it/ are available for those without cars.
· Train http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/http://www.bellezzedellatoscana.it/Treni/Stazioni_Ferroviarie/Toscana/Lucca/Fornaci-Di-Barga/75.htm: the railway station is close to the centre of the village and connects Fornaci to Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
in approximately half an hour and to Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
in approximately one hour. From this station the seriously ill poet Giovanni Pascoli
Giovanni Pascoli
Giovanni Placido Agostino Pascoli was an Italian poet and classical scholar.- Biography :Giovanni Pascoli was born at San Mauro di Romagna , into a well-to-do family. He was the fourth of ten children of Ruggero Pascoli and Caterina Vincenzi Alloccatelli...
left for Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and his illustrious remains returned here from Bologna on April 10, 1912 by special train, in order to be interred in his house in Castelvecchio Pascoli.
· Air: the nearest airport is "G.Galilei" in Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
http://www.pisa-airport.com/ which is served directly by rail.