On the second of December 2006 there was a public meeting in the Palazzo Pancrazi to mark the start of a long-term project here in Barga. The meeting was billed as “incontro di lavoro” for an “emergenza ambientale” and was chaired by the then sottosegretario di Stato ai Beni e Attività Culturali, the Hon. Andrea Marcucci.
It was announced that there was a real danger of large-scale structural damage due to landslides in the area just below Barga Vecchia known as Fontanamaggio and Val di Lago.
A plan was put forward involving shoring up the areas at risk and filling in the bottom of the valley to stop the sides from falling inwards
Four years later the first part of this ambitious project was opened to the public (article here) by the President of the Comunità Montana, Nicola Boggi.
The area known as Parco Buozzi now boasted fountains, walkways, lighting and even a small amphitheatre at the bottom of the park.
In fact it was in that amphitheatre that most of the ceremony took place that afternoon with a concert by musicians from Opera Barga and Barga Jazz.
Since then the park has only been used for one or two concerts and for a certain group of people, the amount of money spent on the park has become the centre of an inordinately large amount of polemic and argument.
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Maybe if those people were not sitting toasting their feet by the fireside last night but were instead down in that park they would have seen and experienced for themselves at first hand what it means for a community to spend money on infrastructure and just how important culturally something like a refurbished Parco Buozzi can be for Barga.
While other urban centres are dealing with vandalism, graffiti and what more or less amounts to civil warfare, which according to many reports makes it unsafe for many people to leave their homes after dark, Parco Buozzi last night was full of people, ignoring the subzero temperatures and enjoying themselves to the full.
As midnight came round, snowmen were built, snowball fights took place and a compact group of snowboarders were perfecting their art as they launch themselves down the steep incline and up into the air from a specially built snow ramp.
Less experienced members of the group were shown just how to make the jump and more importantly, how to land without injuring themselves by their more experienced compatriots who waited patiently until it was their turn to enjoy their exhilarating sport.
The ages ranged from sixteen all the way up to double that age but all shared the sheer joy of spending time together, learning, growing and experiencing what life has to offer.
It was a real pleasure to see this group in action and to see Barga under a very positive ( if freezing cold) light.
Hats off to the snowboarders and to the people who put this possibility on the map.
Dec 2006 – first press conference
October 2007– work starts
November 2007 – second press conference
March 2008 – first project completed
November 2009 – update of progress
March 2010 – latest images
June 2010 – information boards erected