Via del Pretorio in Festa

Via del Pretorio in Barga Vecchia closed to traffic this afternoon for the street party running under the name of “Via del Pretorio in Festa” as Barga celebrates the completion of work on the facades of not one but two Palazzi in Via del Pretorio. The Palazzo Salvi just below the Duomo has been restored to its former glory by the American family of Bill & Joyce Furman. They also opened up their splendid garden for a live jazz concert this afternoon

with the Enojazz band featuring Alessandro Rizzardi on sax, Simone Venturi on piano, Nino Pellegrini on doublebass and the silky voice of Michela Lombardi (article here) Further down the Via del Pretorio the Conservatorio di Santa Elisabetta was also celebrating in style the new coloured facade and stone cladding of the enormous Conservatorio complex recently restored by the Ditta Giacchini of Ponte all’Ania.

Work in progress last month on the Palazzo Salvi by the specialist decorator Luciano Zanella. Bit by bit the face of Barga Vecchia is being changed. It has been a gradual process over the last decade but recently the speed has been picking up as more and more of the house and centuries old palazzi are renovated and new colours are brightening up the whole city. This does somewhat beg the question; just when were the original colours painted ? Right when the palazzo was first built ? or at another point during its 500 years history?
The changing colours of Barga Vecchia – (article here)

What should be noted is the subtle choice of colours that the Palazzo Salvi is now sporting … it looks fresh and clean but not that horrible sparkling-freshly-painted-new look … they have chosen a slightly muted yellow that fits perfectly with the age of the buildings around it. Again the choice of colour for the wooden shutters — traditional green but an aged looking green not bright garish green. Somebody somewhere deserves a pat on the back.