Whenever I pass by ‘Fresco’ supermarket in Pian di Coreglia I recollect the different ways the word ‘fresco’ (meaning fresh, new, cool or a type of mural painting technique) is handled in Italian as part of an expression.

Dante in the XXXII canto of the Inferno where the damned are buried and imprisoned forever in the frozen lake of Cocìto writes «Là dove i peccatori stanno freschi», (There where sinners remain cool) alluding, with mockery, to those sinners condemned to be immured in the eternal ice of the ninth circle. Today if one is in a dodgy situation or worried about something that may be happening and someone tells you ‘stai fresco’ then it’s a way of saying that that something is not going to occur. In other words, don’t worry!

The same phase can also be used to refer to an untrustworthy person or someone who takes us on a path that is not at all straightforward – in other words ‘you’ll be lucky!’ or even ‘fat chance, dream on!’

So ‘stai fresco’ can be quite an ambivalent Italian expression. Whether it’s meant in an honest or ironic way depends on the situation one finds oneself and clearly the tone of the person uttering that expression.

Anyway there was little ambivalence in our shopping trip to the Fresco supermarket. It was a Tuesday and over 65s were allowed to 10% off discount on display of their loyalty cards. Fresco supermarket is OK and happily its produce is ‘fresco’ too. What attracts me most of all about it, however, apart from the bacon is the wide range of alcoholic beverages which range from fine Morellino wines to Sapphire gins.

We took advantage of our route to make a detour on a minor road from nearby Calavorno to the village of Vitiana perched high up in the Val Fegana. We were discouraged from taking this particular route as a local said it was a bad road. Certainly the rollercoaster-like steepness of the little bridge we crossed was somewhat dissuading. But apart from its narrowness there were no major problems encountered with the road and we only met one vehicle coming the opposite way.

Vitiana is first mentioned in a document from 994, The ancient castle of Vitiana, (of which only a few scattered stones remain) together with the castle of Tereglio (located a little higher), was placed to guard an ancient pass road,  which later was engineered to become the Via Ducale. Only a month ago we enjoyed a festa commemorating this stratospheric road described in my posts at:

1. The Grand Duke’s Stratospheric Road – From London to Longoio (and Lucca and Beyond) Part Three (wordpress.com)
2. Foce a Giovo | From London to Longoio (and Lucca and Beyond) Part Two (wordpress.com)
3. Festa della Montagna a Pian d’Albero | From London to Longoio (and Lucca and beyond) Part One (wordpress.com)

Vitiana, after having been a fief of the Rolandinghi counts, in 1272 was placed by the Lucchesi under the jurisdiction of the Vicariate of Coreglia and since then it has followed the fate of Coreglia itself for better or for worse. Another trace of the town can be found in a document dated 1668, where the Alessi di Vitiana family is indicated as the beneficiary of the ancient hospital (12th century) of San Regolo di Montefegatesi.

Vitiana is divided by its main square with its moving war memorial into a higher and a lower part. The higher part contains the parish church of San Silvestro and must have been the site of the castle. As usual the church was closed.

The lower part of Vitiana joins with the road leading up the Val Fegana.

The village square has a bar (which was closed). It also contains perhaps one of the most elegant shrines (or ‘Maestine’) I have witnessed in our area. Its fine renaissance proportions encloses a beautifully frescoed chapel in the naïve but effective rural style of the sixteenth century. These frescoes are miraculously preserved;  it’s just a pity that I could not get any decent pictures of the six saints, three on each side, decorating the interior as the iron grill was locked.

Strolling through Vitiana we came across no sign of life apart from a little yappy dog. The whole attractive place seemed like an abandoned film-set awaiting a director to shoot some mediaeval love story in its picturesque streets.

What is also wonderful about Vitiana is its situation affording some of the finest views of any village and ranging from the Serchio valley, up the Val Fegana to the villages of Tereglio and Monti di Villa to the Orrido di Botri and the Monte Rondinaio and the main Apennine chain.

So again we were able to combine business and pleasure; the most mundane shopping tasks with the adventure of strolling around an undiscovered mountain village and its charming streetscape. Let us enjoy these brilliant pre-autumnal days to the full!