Strange as it may seem, it’s not something that happens that often in this area and on the rare occasions that it does occur, it is rarely reported in the press but over the last couple of weeks there have been random acts of vandalism in Barga and so now maybe it is time to publicise these worrying events. The most obvious vandalism has been the continuous destruction of the red telephone box just outside Barga Vecchia. It was a gift to the people of Barga in October of 2008 but recently it has been the target of a series of interventions by vandals intent on destroying what was a pristine antique K6 cast iron telephone box.
Technicians from the comune have repeatedly replaced the broken glass panes in the side of the box but unfortunately nothing could be done to repair the telephone itself – the handset long gone, removed by person or persons unknown.
There was some scepticism when the box first appeared on the bridge but since then it has been accepted as a part of the local landscape and has been photographed many, many times by visitors to Barga and locals alike. To see it reduced to a vandalised box does nothing for the image of the city or society in general here.
Another target which is less obvious than the telephone box but just as worrying has been a small house just outside the main walls of Barga Vecchia which has been left unattended for a number of years whilst renovations on the house had been taking place. This week most of the windows were smashed leaving glass shards hidden in the grass surrounding house, an obvious danger for passing children and pets.
