Barga is a fairly large village by Tuscan standards in the northern part of the province of Lucca. The village, like many villages, consists of two parts, a new part and an old part. Barga is on the list of I Borghi Piú belli d'Italia.
The old part of Barga is still almost entirely walled. Unauthorized traffic is not allowed within these city walls. There is a large parking lot at the city gate where you can park your car for a fee. Once you pass through the Reale city gate, it seems as if you have taken a step back into the past. The village was probably founded before our era, but not much is known about the earliest history of Barga. We do know that in the Middle Ages the village belonged to Lucca but later joined Florence. During this period Barga was an important trading post.
The main attraction of the village can be found at the highest point of Barga. This is where the Duomo of Braga is also known as the Chiesa del Mille. This beautiful church was built between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries. In the church, also look at the wooden statue behind the altar. This is a twelfth century statue of Saint Christopher, the patron saint of Barga. The most beautiful thing about the Chiesa, however, is the fantastic view you have from the square in front of the church. At the back of the lawn of the church is the Palazzo Pretoria, where the city museum is now located.