Corsagna is that relatively rare village in our part of the world: an almost entirely self-sufficient one – at least socially. It has own sports centre, its own and well-regarded philharmonic band (which in Italy is the equivalent of an English military band since both brass and wind instruments are allowed). It has a selection of shops, bars, a restaurant famous for its tordelli (local ravioli-like pasta) and even a little industry. Most importantly it has its own school where a friend teaches and produces excellent projects with the children including a story book about what happened there in World War II. Although Corsagna belongs to Borgo a Mozzano comune I feel, with its population of over six hundred inhabitants, that it’s big enough to make up its own comune.

Corsagna is also a significant crossroads in terms of local mountain roads. From it routes lead to both Borgo a Mozzano and Chiffenti and an adventurous unmetalled road takes one through thick forests to the Pizzorne plateau. (See A Day in the Pizzorne – From London to Longoio (and Lucca and Beyond) Part Three (wordpress.com) for a description of this plateau).

I like to go through Corsagna as an alternative route from Bagni di Lucca to Borgo a Mozzano, creating a pleasant change and taking in some great views. I remember that on one occasion this was the only way of getting back home. That was a few years back when the Halloween festivities at Borgo had attracted so many people that all the main roads were blocked for hours.

Corsagna is spread out extensively on a sort of plateau four hundred metres above sea level. Its domestic architecture can be quite dignified and there are many corti (or houses spread around inner courtyards). The settlement also has a surprising number of rioni (or quarters) whose names are Pozzo, Verace, Fucina, Fabbriche, Cantone, Lama and Postabbio.

In terms of religious buildings besides its parish church dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel Corsagna also has what must surely be the most beautiful sanctuary in our area. The Madonna della Serra (a word which can mean a greenhouse but is here stands for a hilly range) is dedicated to Our Lady of Consolation and is situated a little distance away from the village in a beautiful chestnut forest. The building dates back to the early 16th century and is built in an elegant rustic-baroque style. The exterior is highlighted by terracotta ornamentation including three statues with a central one of the Madonna

In the sanctuary’s spacious three-aisled interior there is a valuable and venerated painting by Jacopo Mantovani, dated 1596, depicting the Madonna enthroned with Child; at her feet the holy deacons Stephen and Lawrence are kneeling.

Incidentally what is a sanctuary or ‘santuario’? It is a sacred place or a building considered sacred by religious tradition for divine manifestations, for the presence of burials or relics, or because it is connected to supernatural events. In particular, it is a place linked to divine manifestations of the Madonna and is therefore the object of pilgrimages.

The other day we took a pleasant walk to the sanctuary and enjoyed a picnic there with gorgeous views. I thought how a village could have such a magnificent shrine but realized that among the chestnut woods surrounding it there was once a village called Serra of which no trace now remains except for a farmstead. There are so many abandoned villages in Italy and not all of them have been left in the country’s flight to the city which took place after World War II. In this case a plague may have caused the population to depart.

Every five years a solemn feast sees the painting taken to the parish church of Corsagna’s and its return to Serra with a solemn procession on the last Monday of August. Let’s hope that one year we will be able to enter the building for the first time and attend what must be a particular colourful and important event for the people of Corsagna and their stylish sanctuary, the ‘Santuario Della Nostra Signora Della Consolazione di Serra’.