Today is the 4th February and we should really be right in the middle of the coldest time of the year but believe it or not, it is 16° outside and a warm and sunny spring like day.
Absolutely nobody is complaining about this unseasonal weather; least of all the workmen who are this morning erecting scaffolding around the main entrance into Barga Vecchia – the Porta Reale.
A change of administration in the Comune of Barga has meant a renewed interest in the structure and infrastructure of Barga Vecchia.
One of these structures benefiting is the seriously deteriorating main gate – the Porta Reale which is in desperate need of renovating and restoring.
Interestingly, an image arrived on the social networks this morning showing just how Porta Reale looked before the last restoration around 1894
So it appeared before the restoration at the end of 1800 Porta Reale, the main and privileged entrance in the walls of the Barga castle. It was once called Manciana or Mancianella as it opened towards Manciana ((today’s town of Pian di Coreglia).
It was plastered and adorned with elegant pilasters and capitals, the primitive roof of the jutting turret, then the top was modified and the square battlements were built that we see todayCosi appariva prima del restauro di fine 1800 Porta Reale, ingresso principale e privilegiato nella cinta muraria del castello di Barga. Era un tempo chiamata Manciana o Mancianella poichè si apriva verso Manciana ((Odierno paese di Pian di Coreglia) .
Era intonacata e ornata con eleganti lesene e capitelli, il primitivo tetto della torretta aggettante era a due acque, poi la sommità venne modificata e vennero costruiti i merli squadrati che osserviamo oggi. – Emilio Lammari
