If the conditions are right and you are in the right place at the right time, it is possible twice a year, on the 30th – 31st January and the 11th – 12th November to see the doppio tramonto – the double sunset viewed from outside the Duomo in Barga Vecchia.
This is when the sun drops down behind the mountains in the distance and then shines through the natural arch of the Monte Forato.
This eagerly awaited event generally draws a crowd at the Duomo as they wait for the sun to dip below the horizon, only to re-appear seconds later.
For the last couple of days there have been people waiting to catch a glimpse of the doppio tramonto as the sun edged closer and closer to the hole.
Yesterday was the big day where everything should have lined up perfectly ….. that is, until the weather decided to play a hand in the proceedings and low clouds gathered over Monte Forato and the show was cancelled until next year in January where once again it will be possible to to see this rare event.
This evening a sharp wind kept most casual viewers away from the Duomo but it did also keep the clouds away and so there was a clear vision of the sun going down but as can be seen in the series of images above, it missed the mark and set a few metres before the hole.