‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past,’ and one would never imagine that in the 21st century we would still need to pay for the legacies from the turn of the 19th, but that we must, as expressed by William Faulkner in his novel ‘Requiem for a Nun’, which resonates on many levels here in Barga.
A road, which some find hair raising, winds down the western face of the mountainside between Tiglio Basso and Filecchio and has several hairpin turns at one of which rests a small church which is in good condition, but seems otherwise disused. Built in 1713, it is known as Chiesina delle Seggiane and is part of the parish of Tiglio. It has been meticulously maintained by the revered Don Giuseppe Cola and his parishioners for over 58 years. As with the other 4 churches or chapels under Don Cola’s benevolent care, he has seen to its upkeep and repairs over the years. It is used for Mass at two specific feast days per year and on special occasions.
On the occasion of the three hundred years since the church’s construction, the recently reestablished Misericordia of Tiglio, led by Leonello Diversi, has taken the initiative to request permits and estimates for badly needed repair and maintenance work inside and out. Now this is where the past comes into play.
In the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars, when properties were restored to the Catholic Church, somehow this church was forgotten. It has been orphaned, so to speak, and although the property theoretically belongs to the Comune of Barga, it is under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church and the resultant conflict arises in that the Comune of Barga is happy to lend permission to the parish of Tiglio to do as it sees fit with the church and property as long as the parish pays for the work itself.
This brings us to 2013. As with the other invaluable vestiges of the Italian patrimony, temples of worship, palazzi, and Art masterpieces, which are preserved for the public, this small legacy deserves to be maintained.
The Misericordia has a list of prioritized repairs for which the permits have been issued and is putting out this call to the community to help through donations. The list of repairs is broken down into a value per square meter and one can sponsor a square meter or more through the donation of specified sums. A poster will be displayed at three churches, but principally San Giusto, Tiglio Alto, to track progress and record the contributors names or anonymous donations.
Donations can be made directly to: Rettore Don Cola (tel: 0583-723451); to a member of the Misericordia (tel: 348 370 7007); or by wire transfer to IT74W103070101OOOOOO269462 specifying: PRO SEGGIANE
The suggested donations are as follows:
Floor tiling, interior: need: 30 sq. mtrs @ €120. per sq. mtr.
Paving, exterior: need: 25 sq. mtrs @ €80. per sq. mtr.
Plasterwork: need: 30 sq. mtrs @ €150. per sq. mtr.
Painting: need: 30 sq. mtrs @ €120. per sq. mtr.
Earthquake bars: need: 30 lin. mtrs @ €70. per lin. mtr.
There are also plans to place an attractive stone seat on the exterior bench and sand and restore overhead beams.
View Larger Map
————————————————
Cari confratelli,consorelle, amici. La Misericordia di Tiglio per finanziare i lavori di manutenzione straordinaria, in occasione del 300° Anno dalla costruzione dell’Oratorio delle Seggiane, chiede a tutti voi un contributo economico, acquistando una o più unità dei lavori sotto indicati.
Potete farlo versando (anche in piccole rate mensili) l’importo a: Rettore di Tiglio,Don Giuseppe Cola (TEL. 0583/723451)
Governatore della Misericordia, Leonello Diversi (3483707007)
Con bonifico bancario su IBAN (IT 74W0103070101000000269462) specificando sulla causale PRO SEGGIANE
Pavimentazione interna: Unita N° 30 ad €120 ciascuna
Pavimentazione esterna:Unità N° 25 ad €80 ciascuna
Intonaci: Unità N° 30 ad €150
Tinteggiatura e decori: Unità N° 30 ad €120
Leghe in acciaio:Unità N° 30 ad €70 ciascuno
Che Dio ve ne renda merito – Tiglio gennaio 2013 – Il Governatore Diversi Leonello
Kerry Bell and Raffaele Dinelli