From July to August, ancient town of Barga, near Lucca, comes alive with the participants and spectators of the Opera Barga, a highly regarded opera festival held at the Teatro dell' Accademia dei Differenti.

Opera Barga Festival first came to be in 1967 thanks to the efforts of Peter and Gillian Hunt, respectively actor and set designer who had immigrated to the small town of Barga.

The discovery of the baroque Teatro dei Differenti inspired them to set up courses for young singers and musicians with the intent of putting on smaller, lesser known operas of the baroque period together with more modern and even contemporary compositions.

Barga

Barga is a medieval Tuscan town with a total of around 10,000 inhabitants.

It is an ancient town in an incredible location, narrow streets, tiny square and steep stairwells. At the top is the 11th century cathedral with an impressive panoramic view.

Barga is often known as "The Most Scottish Town in Italy" due to the thousands of emigrants who left this area in the last century during the famine to start a new life in Scotland.

Barga is the most attractive of the towns in the Serchio valley and it makes an excellent base for touring the Garfagnana area.

For more information visit

• Opera Barga