La Festa dei Bargo-Esteri at Villa Moorings

Full house this evening at Villa Moorings for the annual Festa dei “Bargo-Esteri” organised as usual by the Giornale di Barga and the Amministrazione Comunale. The festa is for the families of Barghigiani living abroad who come back to Barga each year for their holidays. The event started today at 17.30 at the church of Sacro Cuore with a mass led by the Mons. Stefano Serafini and then continued on this evening at the Hotel Villa Moorings.

The Hotel is probably the best symbol of the emigration from Barga and the return of the Bargo-Esteri as it was constructed in 1924 by Leonello Castelvecchi who left Barga to make his fortune abroad

Born in Barga, son of a farmer, Leonello, like many of his fellow-citizens he emigrated, seeking fortune, firstly in the United States then, later in Scotland: here, in a small town on the river Clyde, Largs, a short distance from Glasgow, he accomplished one of his greatest dreams.
Leonello started with a small business making ice-cream which he sold from a three wheeled barrow.
Then gradually through perseverance, great sacrifices and his small ice cream business, he was then able to open fish and chip shops, kiosks, small restaurants and pubs.
To crown his success he started to build one single complex in Largs, The Moorings Restaurant with a ballroom a restaurant seating 1000 people, cafè, ice-cream parlour and lounge bar.

The Moorings was managed by the founder himself with the help of his three sons (Castelson): Corrado, Lio and Cosimo.

In 1924 the Castelvecchi family still tied to it’s Barghigiani roots, as proof of there success and for their love for Barga, commissioned the construction of Villa Moorings, which was to become their holiday home.

Villa Moorings was planned and built in a Liberty style, rich in architectural and pictorial art dècor, high quality marble wrought iron railings precious wood fittings, representative cut crystals, furnished with Murano chandeliers, and Florentine upholstery; such magnificence and luxury provoked astonishment in the observer and was proof of the economic success reached by the family.

The Hotel Villa Moorings site can be seen here

Click on the link below to hear the opening speeches at the Festa this evening (in Italiano)

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• La festa dei bargo-esteri
• La festa dei bargo-esteri