Exploring the Charm of Fosciandora: A Serene Walk Through History and Nature

Hello, dear friends!

I love when the posts I share receive comments because it shows me there’s interest in the topics I share within this community. It’s also great that the organizers of this community have arranged these Challenges—I hope to participate soon, especially now that we’re finally approaching the Christmas holidays.

Today, I’d like to take the opportunity to share with you the municipality of the village I mentioned in yesterday’s post. This municipality is located in the Garfagnana region, still in the province of Lucca, and is called Fosciandora. I believe I’ve already mentioned this place before since I’ve visited it in the past, but I still think it’s interesting to share photos from another excursion I took there.

Let’s start by noting that it’s a small municipality with a population of 500 inhabitants. It’s situated in a hilly area about 400 meters above sea level. I began my walk in this village, and I must say it was immediately fascinating, with streets that run beneath the houses. It really makes you think about how ingenious people were in the past when constructing homes, utilizing every available space. Moreover, arranging them this way seems to me a very intelligent method to shield themselves from the cold. In fact, I’ve often seen similar architectural designs in the various villages I’ve visited.

As I continued my walk and climbed further uphill—because this village is practically perched on the hillside—I realized that this arrangement was not accidental. It was deliberately designed to protect from the wind and, consequently, the cold.
Occasionally, I came across some houses in complete abandonment, likely due to neglect and lack of care from their owners. This is common, probably because restoring these places can be quite costly. Moving on, I noticed someone had hung out laundry, taking advantage of the weak sunlight to dry their clothes. From the road’s elevated position on the hillside, the view of the surrounding landscape was truly breathtaking.

For some, walking in places like these during this time of year, with its cold and somewhat gloomy atmosphere, might feel sad. However, for me, it’s incredibly relaxing—a wonderful experience I highly recommend if you visit Italy.

As I continued my walk, I came across a small shrine—a type of religious structure often found in these areas, reflecting a time when there was a stronger attachment to religion.
I hope you’ve found my photos interesting and that my account of this walk was engaging. I’ll see you in my next post, and as always, I wish you all a wonderful day!