Aristodemo Casciani who had only just recently celebrated his 86th year on the planet, died two days ago on the 4th October in the local hospital. He was laid to rest this afternoon in the Barga cemetery after a moving service in San Francesco with Don Stefano Serafini leading the congregation with prayers for his next of kin.
The church was filled to overflowing with family and friends who were there to give witness to his passing.
The mood of Barga today was probably best summed up by one of the death notices posted up in the city which quite simply had one word thanking Aristo, and signed the ex Mayor of Barga Prof. Umberto Sereni.
Aristo was taken to hospital just a week or so ago after a fall during the night and had never recovered afterwards.
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Aristo was the rock on which Barga Vecchia depended upon. His bar was the unofficial cultural centre of Barga.
Aristo has appeared many, many times on barganews – in fact he has his own category here on the site, his own comic strip DA ARISTO here and even a group playing Italian swing from the 30;s, 40’s and 50’s named in his honour – Emma e gli Aristodemo’s here
Click on the link below for a short recording of Aristo playing the bottles in his bar during June 2001
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEMFRTP1lfE
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C6eVpIDPmM
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgLo-DtDboE