OUR BLOG

Some emigrants returned to their homeland for the love of offspring who wished to  pursue their dreams in Italy; this is the story of one such example - a young man who came to Italy with a great ambition in his heart, and the desire to live out his dream.

The regulars of the first morning coffee found the lights off, the curtains drawn, and a big white sign on the door stating "Closed". It was the 1st of January 2016. It wasn't just any old cafè that was closed, it was "Bar Mellini". This is the story.....

Every Friday evening during the month of August, there is an artisan market in the heart of Bedonia, where you can find many different hand-crafted articles, and enjoy a background of live music provided by one or more of the cafés, or a concert of some kind.

The Lunigiana area is full of castles and little hamlets which seem to have frozen in time, and the ancient fortified village of Borgo del Filetto is no exception. This magical place, hidden within the embrace of stone walls, will plunge you into an olde worlde atmosphere, especially if you visit during the medieval fair in August.

On the 2nd of July 1630, the grateful inhabitants of Compiano and Isola felt the need to give thanks for having escaped the terrible plague, and to pray in order to remain safe. They therefore gave  life to a pledge between worshippers and the river, a holy rite which was to continue without interruption right up to current day; this year saw its 388th anniversary.

Everyone has heard of - or seen - ships in bottles, and unless you have a passion for that kind of thing, they are nothing much to write home about. But we want to tell you about another kind of "ship" in a bottle, which you probably know nothing about, unless you have been here, amongst native Italians, on the 28th/29th of June. We are talking about the "Barca di San Pietro" - Saint Peter's boat.