the locality
the Garfagnana
The mill is located in an area loosely called the Garfagnana. Recent administrative jargon has the Garfagnana rather further north, and the southern area between, say, Barga and Bagni di Lucca is called the Media Valle, the middle valley of the Serchio river. Historically, it seems to have all been called the Garfagnana, and we'll follow the tradition in this.
The Garfagnana is an exquisitely beautiful and varied area. The Serchio valley is narrow and the mountains on each side are the dominant features. To the southwest are the Apuane alps, a range of peaks that are unusually varied in their shapes, so that every panorama that includes them is fascinating as well as spectacular. To the northeast lies a section of the Appennine alps and it is on the slopes of these that the Carletti Mill is situated. At around 950m above sea level, it is almost half way up monte Giovo (1992m), whose ridge makes a delightful day's walk with astounding views.
The area is characterized by a very dispersed population. There are small villages and hamlets scattered in the complex topography, every village seeming to have found a unique and different way of fitting in to the varying slopes. It is difficult to make a short list of destinations to explore, as almost all are picturesque. There are good restaurants everywhere too, some in the most improbably remote places.
