Today - peace and quiet all day

The notice board outside the barganews offices in Piazza Angelio this morning really does say it all, "Today - peace and quiet all day*"  The 10 day long Feste delle Piazzette finished last night and calm has once more returned to the city.  There were those who complained about the Feste - checks being made on the decibel level from the piazzas where live music was being played which showed decibel readings far above the permitted level. (article here)

And yet other people who thought that the festa was just not "festa" enough  - 

Somebody on the forum this morning wrote:   So the Piazzette finished last night just as it began….with a whimper! ….And anyone who signs a petition to ban certain piazzette or any form of lively entertainment should be put in stocks and have rotten veg thrown at them. Perhaps we could add that to the entertainment list next year if they do organise the Piazzette again.

but what was clear is that the Feste delle Piazzette in its current form could do with some "tweaking" to get it to be a more enjoyable event for all concerned.

Barga Vecchia is a different Barga Vecchia than the one that hosted this event 15 - 20 years ago. Then it was an almost deserted historic centre with few people and next to no services, bars or restaurants, so a festa where people could meet, eat and drink was something to look forward to and to protect.

Now there are many new restaurants and bars open to cater for the people and so the emphasis on the festa has gradually changed in something else.

Anyway for this year the Festa is over, let's see what next year brings. 

*somebody did call into the offices this morning to ask what time would the band Peace and Quiet be playing this evening

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2 Responses to “Today - peace and quiet all day”

Comments

1. J Maloco Jul 23 2007 / 6pm

   Having just returned from Barga, the festa was indeed a litle disappointing. I have holidayed in Barga for the last 21 years, and my family and I have always looked forward to the unique atmosphere of the Festa. The atmosphere is always so electric, familys out all tog.ether enjoying the experience of eating talking and listening tO different types of music.I have always delighted that there appeard to be something for everyone. This year having brought some friends we looked forward to sharing the experience.
2. jack nannini Jul 24 2007 / 8am

   Of course one simply has to decide whether or not Barga Vecchia is to be a summer playground for the tourists who invade it for a couple of weeks each year - expecting the locals to lay-on festivities for their entertainment (and therefore plan, organise, set-up, clean-up, serve, deal with local bureaucracy and administration), or instead a living, breathing community of residents who are happy as anyone to have a party but who are not necessarily always on holiday, may have small children, almost certainly have to get up in the morning to go to work and who may find some of the more antisocial behaviour that seems to be endemic on the fringes of this kind of event a little disconcerting.

   Given that the Municipal Administration is clearly in the hand of a clique of special interest groups and is in any case unfit to manage even a small chicken coop, is the time not ripe for a frank and open debate to discuss how best to realise the full cultural (with a small ‘c’) potential of Barga Vecchia, whilst at the same time without penalising the residents or indeed the very fabric of the town. This in my view should include a coordinated program of events throughout the calendar year - ranging from the folkloristic (Piazzette, Presepe Vivente, Befana, gastronomic events, ecc…) to the artistic (concerts, exhibitions) - with a concerted approach and clear intent.

   The alternative is to continue the present decadence with the usual debacle of ad hoc and un-connected (and invariably disorganised) events.

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