As we’re trying to make the most of our time with Koval the dog, and hit a certain Marriott status before the end of the year, Nik did some research and suggested a road trip to Italy. He found a really great dog-friendly property, the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa, outside the town of Barga, in the Provence of Lucca. So in mid-November we rented a car and hit the road. The drive was just under six hours and took us through the town of Lucca which we would stop in on our drive back to Nice.
The Hotel
The Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa is nestled in the Lucca countryside town of Barga and perched upon a hill that makes it look like the hotel property is carved into the side.
The road to the hotel was long and winding with two nearby parking lots, but we drove into the entry area, as close as we could get, to unload the car.
At check-in, the staff was absolutely lovely and enamored with Koval. He was given a welcome gift: a box with a toy, poop bags and a collapsible water bowl.
Once we were led to our room, a “classic room” with a balcony, we were happy to see that it was carpeted which helps with Koval’s old man legs.
The real highlight of our room was the view out over the countryside – and what’s that? A helipad? Yep!
Let me explain.
The hotel was opened in 1967 by Guelfo Marcucci, whose father Luigi Marcucci emigrated to the United States in the 1930s with a brother and opened the Gonnella Bakery in Chicago, where he baked Tuscan bread. Luigi sent money back to the family in Italy where they got into the pharmaceutical industry. What started as a family estate turned into a larger property that is still owned and managed by the same family. The hotel operation is now managed by Marriott but feels very boutique and quaint, not corporate.
According to the hotel staff, the helicopter is used by a member of the family to come and go!
Since we stayed at the hotel in the offseason, it was really quiet, with under 20 guests staying there. We enjoyed some time in the lobby where Koval was given a chance to wonder around a little bit and he even tried to get in on our cocktails.
For convenience after our late-afternoon arrival, we had dinner at the hotel our first night, which turned out to be quite delicious, and returned for breakfast over the next few mornings since the buffet was included in our booking.
Our stay was short, only three nights, so we barely explored the expansive grounds and the pool was closed for the season. Just a few days in this beautiful country setting was great for us. We’d love to return for another stay during a more peak time, but part of why we went in November was the bargain pricing.
Old Town Barga
Though the town of Pisa (known for its leaning tower) was roughly 90 minutes away, which I was hoping to get to for a photo-op with Koval, we chose to stay local and explore the medieval hilltop town of Barga. The town was well known during the Middle Ages for the manufacture of silk yarns which were exported to major areas such as Florence.
Our first time going to the town was with Nik driving and bringing Koval along to explore. The weather was overcast and a little drizzly but then it cleared up and we had a really nice few hours in town.
We parked and entered through Porta Reale (Royal Gate) one of two historic entrances to the medieval walled town.
Duomo di San Cristoforo
Our first goal was to walk up to the Duomo di San Cristoforo (Cathedral of Cristoforo) at the top of the hilltop in Barga. It was something we saw from our hotel grounds as we arrived and so I was instantly fascinated with it from afar.
The journey up to the Cathedral was through some narrow streets, small squares and a few steep streets that felt extra slick because of the drizzle.
Once we reached the hilltop and the Cathedral, the stone facade was so old and unique, it was worth the time we took to walk around and admire its Romanesque architecture.
The cathedral was built in four different periods, from the 10th to 16th centuries. You can really see that by how the stones vary throughout the exterior.
The Cathedral doors were open and we were the only ones there at the time, which felt a little creepy because the interior wasn’t well lit. (We missed a small detail – a box where dropping in a 2€ coin would turn on the lights.)
Once inside, we marveled at the marble pulpit and the many other intricate details.
Supporting the red columns and pulpit are two stone lions. Though I don’t have extreme closeups, one lion is killing a dragon, a symbol of Evil, and the other one is fighting the deceiving Heresy.
A large terrace overlooks the town in every direction, offering gorgeous views even under slightly overcast skies.
Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata
After exploring Cathedral of San Cristoforo, we popped into Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata (Church of the Most Holy Annunziata) in a cute little square of the same name.
The church was built starting from 1595 and completed in the 18th century. It also suffered serious damages during World War II, which I’m not sure if the interior scaffolding is a result of that or if it’s being used to support its old age. Regardless, between the marble and various murals, it’s a gorgeous interior.
Once we finished exploring the cathedrals, we went in search of lunch. The old town was quiet, but we came across a cute spot called Fuori dal Comune with panini and drinks. Perfect!
One of the more beautiful buildings in Old Town is Palazzo Balduini, pictured below. It was built by the Barghigiano (the term for a person from Barga), Balduino Balduini in the second half of the 16th Century.
He was the chief physician for Cardinal Del Monte who later became Pope Julius III, and who in 1554, nominated Balduini as Bishop of Aversa. The palazzo was heavily bombed during World War II and only its outer walls remained standing.
Our day exploring old town was incredibly charming and we really enjoyed it.
Dining out in Barga
Nik and I liked Old Town so much we returned for our last two nights of dinners. Instead of driving, the hotel called us a cab. There’s basically one taxi company for the area and the driver was great. The cost was 20€ each way, not bad for the winding and dark country roads of Tuscany.
Pizza Indie and Distilleria Indie
A restaurant we saved on our map was Pizza Indie in the Old Town and on the drive to the hotel we saw a sign for Distilleria Indie. Turns out they’re related and we visited both. Pizza Indie was celebrating Oktoberfest and had a menu of German beer and food specialties. We opted for the German beer and their pizza. Both were very good.
The next night we returned to Pizza Indie try the Indie cocktails, since their distillery doesn’t have a bar. The distillery was located on the other side of Barga, so it was neat to drive over there for a different experience of the area. The building the distillery is housed in is really just their production center and shop. The guy that helped is in the shop was quite lovely and let us sample all of their offerings. We bought a few items and he even gave us a discount because we bought so much.
Wine Not?
Also on our map was Wine Not?, a cleverly named wine bar next to the Church of the Most Holy Annunziata. We would go to Wine Not? twice too. Our first time was before dinner at Pizza Indie and it was pretty quiet because we were on the early side. The second time was after our dinner at Ristorante Scacciaguai. The first visit we were given a plate of complimentary savory fried dough balls. Served piping hot, they were a nice nibble. Sadly, no picture though. The rest of their menu looked good…we’ll just have to make a return visit.
Ristorante Scacciaguai
Around the corner from Wine Not? is Ristorante Scacciaguai that has a pretty good Google review rating and the hotel staff also recommended it.
Despite having a reservation, we were seated in the back room with just one other pair, a mother and daughter from the UK who, it turned out, were also staying at our hotel. The restaurant has two other rooms that were pretty full, so the ambiance for our meal was a little boring. However, if you’re inclined to watch, there’s a live feed into the kitchen showing everything as it’s made.
Nik and I started with an app of prawns on a potato puree with drops of white truffle oil. Delicious.
Next came our entrées. I went with the homemade tagliatelle tossed with mussels, clams, prawns, and scallops while Nik chose the gnocchi with sun-dried tomatoes, cashews, pesto, and burrata stracciatella. Both dishes were excellent.
We also stopped into two total local dive bars while in Old Town. They were next door to Pizza Indie, one to the left and one to the right, and the workers at each were very nice. Both bartenders brought us complimentary plates of charcuterie. And one of the bars even had a Italian Wheel of Fortune on the TV.
Back to Nice We Go
On our last morning at the hotel, we got to see snow capped mountains in the distance.
Late morning we hit the road back to Nice while making a quick stop in Lucca. Unfortunately we didn’t walk the well-preserved walls encircling its historic city center, but Koval did make a deposit. (Of course we picked it up!)
We also wandered through the Old Town, which was quite busy in several spots, and even stumbled upon their Christmas Market. Koval navigated the cobblestone streets and crowds like a champ.
And just like that our trip to Italy ended. Both Nik and I would love to return to the Lucca region and explore the area in warmer weather, especially to take advantage of the pool at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa.
Maybe we’ll come back in a car like this!
Molto bello