So many old Italian buildings are architectural palimpsests; they are like manuscripts or pieces of writing material on which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing and are often reused or altered structures which still bear visible traces of their earlier form. In our part of the world, in the Serchio and Lima valleys, old buildings are frequently found to be much older than they seem to be at first. An example of this is the ‘Antico Ospitale San Leonardo’ (Ancient Hospital of San Leonardo) of Calavorno.  Here the word ‘Ospitale’ (hospital) means a shelter for travellers or a hospice rather than a hospital for healing the sick, although they often served this purpose. Indeed, the italian verb ‘ospitare’ means ‘to host or welcome as guests’.

Among the many ‘ospitali’ dedicated to the assistance of and hospitality for pilgrims, the poor and wayfarers crossing the Serchio Valley, the one at San Leonardo is particularly venerable and is referred to in old documents as being under the jurisdiction of the Rolandinghi who were Lombard nobles. Originally located near Calavorno bridge over the Serchio, the hospital was first mentioned in 1260, although it was certainly founded earlier.

During a visit by the Church in 1451 the structure was found to be in complete abandonment. In 1554 it was reported that the hospital had moved to the Ghivizzano plain, entrusting its custody and management to a certain Benedetto Canacci from Ghivizzano. This building still exists today and a plaque remembers the ancient use of public hospitality.

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On Saturday 29 May this year there was an inauguration of this ‘Antico Ospitale San Leonardo ’, (located in the ‘Eat Valley’ shop and restaurant at Ghivizzano’s Via Nazionale 198), which has been expertly restored by the Bellandi family.

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The old hospital, dating largely from the sixteenth century and situated next to the ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome known as the Via Francigena, is divided into various areas where the Bellandi family now sell typical food products from the Garfagnana and the Serchio Media Valle which can be purchased or eaten on site. For more details have a look at their web site at https://www.anticanorcineria.it/en/eatvalley-2/

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This Saturday, 24 July, at 8 pm the Antico Ospitale San Leonardo is hosting a concert dedicated to the music of Ennio Morricone, particularly noted for the scores he wrote for those classic spaghetti westerns like ‘Once upon a Time in the West’ and ‘The Good the Bad and the Ugly’ and many other films of course.

We attended a concert given by Morricone at Lucca’s summer festival in 2019. It must have been one of Ennio’s last live appearances for within a year he was dead aged 91. It was truly a memorable experience to hear this doyen of great movie music conduct his creations.

Bookings for the concert and for open-air dining are essential by phoning 370 347 8099 or 320 897 1964, or emailing feisct@libero.it

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