- Garfagnana
Garfagnana is an historical region of
Italy , today part of the province ofLucca in the Apennines, in northwestTuscany , but before the unification of Italy it belonged to theDuchy of Modena and Reggio , ruled by theEste family. For a short time, in the 16th century, it was governed by the poetLudovico Ariosto . It is one of the most rainy regions of Italy, so is in a large part covered byforest vegetation (mainlyChestnut ,Oak andPine ).Characteristics of the region
Located between the
Apuan Alps (famous for the production of marble) the main part of theApennines , Garfagnana is a mountainous region of Tuscany. It considered a particularly striking and beautiful part of Tuscany owning to its mountains, the rest of Tuscany being generally more flat.The native trees are mostly deciduous, the most common being Chestnut, which provided an important food for the region until the
second world war . However, after the war, disease infected most of the chestnut trees and caused widespread devastation to the chestnut population. A program of tree planting was introduced to limit errosion, using pine trees. As a result it is common to see pine in the region. Chestnut has started to recover, however.The region is also known for its production of
farro (emmer wheat ), and for itsporcini mushrooms.The capital of the region is
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana .Economy
The region is primarily agricultural, however in recent years there has been an upsurge in
Agritourism and holiday homes, which has now become important to the economy of the region.Landscapes
*
Valdorcia
*Casentino
*Crete senesi
*Chianti
*Maremma
*Mugello region
*Val di Chiana
*Lunigiana
*Garfagnana
*Versilia External links
* [http://www.ingarfagnana.it Garfagnana]
* [http://www.qgarfagnana.it Garfagnana]
* [http://www.barganews.com/keane/olives/index.htm Picking olives and making olive oil in Garfagnana]
* [http://www.barganews.com/keane/vendemmia/index.htm Grape picking - vendemmia in Garfagnana]
* [http://www.barganews.com/daily/2006/01/01/recipe-for-castagniaccio-chestnut-flour-cake/ Recipe for Castagnaccio - chestnut flour cake]
* [http://www.barganews.com/daily/2005/12/24/nataleccio-palio-dei-natalecci/ 24th December - Palio dei Natalecci]
* [http://www.garfagnana-food.com/ Restaurant guide for the region]
* [http://www.dinodini.com/diki/index.php/Casciana Video footage of a village in Garfagnana]
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