Let More Voices be Heard in Our Valley

The only rag (local newspaper) to have any lasting power in our area is “Il Corriere di Bagni di Lucca” whose editor, (and present mayor), is Massimo Betti. For some time now it has had an on-line presence at

http://www.bagnidiluccaonline.it/il_corriere_dei_bagni_di_lucca.html

The Corriere is irregularly issued. There’s no exact knowing when the next edition will come out. This is a real snag but the local newsagents will put out placards to advise one if a new issue is out. The web site is no substitute for buying the paper copy but it is useful if one wishes to write a letter to the editor or even contribute an article. There are several of my articles in past copies of the Corriere, which was originally founded in 1986, if I can find them!

The site at http://www.bagnidiluccaonline.it/index.html has further details about shops, itineraries, events and a very interesting slideshow collection of old postcards of Bagni di Lucca as it once was (not so different from what it looks now even if the storm has wreaked its havoc). I am a little surprised that, although, it has notes on the villages in the comune di Bagni di Lucca (the largest mountain comune in the whole of Italy) I could find nothing about Longoio and Mobbiano.

Like so many sites, however, the Corriere’s site suffers from infrequent updates and much of the information has to be re-checked. For this reason Bagni di Lucca’, on-line facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bagni-di-Lucca-on-line/238590056352002

is a lot more useful for here-and-now happenings which, otherwise, would only be read in those two main regional papers “La Nazione” and “Il Tirreno”.

The biggest disadvantage for inhabitants not fluent in Italian is that, of course, all these sources of journalistic information are written in Italian.

It was, therefore, something of a delight to be handed a copy of another local rag, this time called “La Voce di Vico Pancellorum”, published by the Associazione Risveglio (“”re-awakening association”) of that beautiful village, and to find it written both in Italian with a substantial part in English The English, although not perfect is, at least, readable and represents a considerable effort from this community which many have described as a ghost town for much of the year but which can truly wake up when the seasons warm.

I was last year at Vico Pancellorum when invited to an interesting debate on the water supply in our valley. You can read my post on it at

https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/water-water-everywhere-and-not-a-drop-to-drink/

Imagine my surprise, then, when this conference was fully reported in Vico Pancellorum “Voce” on a recent visit with friends from Mobbiano.

“La Voce di Vico Pancellorum” has been issued now for 11 years, is published twice or three times a year and is well written.

I wish there were more rags like these for the local villages around. Clearly my blog has brought a few more people together and, don’t forget this, there’s also my facebook page on Longoio at

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Longoio/271075589577951?fref=ts

This time, however, I want to publish on-line “La Voce di Vico Pancellorum” as thanks to the great job they are doing in helping to revive a community which otherwise might be in the way to extinction.

Does your Val di Lima village have a rag that is issued regularly or irregularly? Or does it have a facebook page? (I’m sure many will have that!).