VILLALEMBI

“Alta Garfagnana” is the highest and northern part of this region, starting from Castelnuovo and ending in Giuncugnano and Sillano municipalities. This subregion is exactly located between Appennines and Alps.

This is a short trailer taken from the documentary “Apuane, le montagne d’acqua” (Apuan Alps, water mountains), directed by Valter Torri. With their unique marbles (the most famous is the white of Carrara), these mountains are the main character of a very rich landscape.

Despite what we may think, Apuan Alps are older than Appennines. Yes, they emerged lately than Appennines, because originally they were formed in a marine environment. That’s why they are made of a very old crystalline compound. First of all, layers of carbonate sediments transformed into typical dolomitic rocks and other calcareous sediments. Then, through a mysterious metamorphosis, they generated the famous marble.

From Villalembi you have got one of the best view of Apuan Alps, that are just 20 km away. Especially we are very close to Monte Pisanino, the highest, with 1936 m of altitude.

A holiday in Garfagnana means visiting this mountains as a normal tourist, within the structures and easy paths of C.A.I. (Club Alpino Italiano) and “Parco delle Alpi Apuane”. Those interesetd in naturalistic excursions, trekking, bike routes, canoying, extreme sports like parachute, paraglider… this is exactly the place to be in Tuscany.

Entertainment and opportunities are so many, and your vacation will seem endless and so full of things to do. The enchanting landscape of these Alps is unforgettable.

The delicious porcini mushroom is the king of the table in Garfagnana. The most flavorful and aromatic grows in the woods of chestnut, the most balanced in the beech forests. There are also special porcini mushrooms that arise among the oaks and firs. In Garfagnana they are cooked fried, in the sauce with polenta, or accompanying a Florentine steak with extra virgin olive oil and special herb called ‘niepitella’ (niebidella).

Throughout the Region of Tuscany mushroom picking is regulated. The mushroom grows from may to november, under the ground, covered with leaves, when it comes out, it has now reached full maturity and grows only a little. There are many varieties, Boletus edulis and Boletus Aereus are what the man in this video shows us directly from the forests of Garfagnana in August 2010.

Apart from music a bit ‘repetitive, you can see examples of excellent exemplars. This movie is a collection of delicious mushrooms!

Villalembi is your starting place to discover Garfagnana, as well as Lucca, Pisa, Liguria and Versilia. In this blog we are going to inform you widely about the territory, people living here, routes, events, historical sites and so on. Follow us in a trip inside beauty, nature and everything regarding Tuscany.

Garfagnana is an area situated in the north of Lucca Province, bordering the provinces of Massa-Carrara, Modena and Reggio Emilia. This geographic location straddling three regions has meant that this territory has developed different characteristics in terms of cultural and anthropological values.

In the past this region had been ruled by Ferrara and Modena Duchy, then Massa and finally Lucca, These different historical dominations have given the region a mix of flavours and shapes, as long as the ability for different people to feel at home in Garfagnana.

In the Nineties we have registered a growing interest in british, dutch, german, belgian, scottish, and french visitors, followed by the opening of the territory to foreign tourists. This zone is not even well-known by italians and it an exchanging relationship between its inhabitants, migrating, and other european populations is still going on. This is the basis to nominate Garfagnana “Land of Peoples and Cultures“. It is simply to respond to what is happening individually: tourists interested in Tuscany (as a place to visit and furthermore to live in) are demanding and looking for “new paradises”.

Chianti, Terre di Siena, Maremma and Florence Countryside have already been reached by big vectors and Garfagnana is still a pristine place to enjoy and relax yourself discovering The Heart of Tuscany, just outside the routes of mass tourism.