Nineteenth Century Canal Hide & Seek and MadLibs

Path Along Nottolini Aqueduct

Partway through an hour long conversation class the other week my teacher asked if I’d been to the Parole d’Oro (the Golden Words). I didn’t think I had, didn’t recognize the name, and my interest was piqued. Daniela revealed that it was a tranquil, park-like setting that even many locals weren’t aware of. Knowing that we would jump at any chance to find some time in nature, and with the spring weather of late and planning on taking a walk there herself to forage for some fresh herbs for the kitchen, she thought that maybe some day our family would like to visit le Parole d’Oro.

            She was right. That Friday we made a picnic lunch and, instead of our usual two-wheeled routine, picked up the kids by car. En route, soon Niko and Ingrid recognized the Nottolini Aqueduct, below which we’d done a little bike ride back in August. The aqueduct stretches 3250 meters from Guamo to San Concordio and includes over 400 arches.

Plans began for it in the Eighteenth Century but it wasn’t started until 1823 and was finally completed in 1851, providing fresh, clean water for the whole town of Lucca. Town fountains are still active and daily dozens of people can be seen filling up sets of six 1.5 liter bottles for drinking water.

At some of the fountains there’s even a complete chemical analysis of the water for those who are curious or worried about it being safe (the former mostly Italians wondering what good mountain minerals they’re getting, the latter being mostly foreigners hoping to have their Tuscan vacation untainted by ingestion of giardia or lead).

            We drove to the end of the aqueduct and took some side roads leading to a tiny dirt and stone parking area with just one other car. This is what we saw:

            Then this:

The 'Golden Words' themselves appear, no longer golden, at the top of the bridge.

            We continued uphill past the abandoned house and past the fenced off new one which houses the caretaker of the ruins. A canal had been dug and then sided with large blocks of stone. It winded its way uphill, every now and then being fed by small side channels which Niko and Ingrid had fun hopping over. So this was the source, or almost the source. This is how they channeled the mountain water into one spot and then guided it on the long, gravity-fed journey over the aqueduct to Lucca. Pretty impressive! And fun, too. The canals, plenty of grass on each side, secondary channels, and small stone control huts proved a great playing space for a wild game of hide-and-seek for the kids (parents didn’t join this time, wanting to keep a good eye out that our five year old’s excitement didn’t lead him to accidentally back into a fifteen foot drop into the bone dry canal). 

Ingrid incredulous Niko found her so quickly!

Up at our picnic spot, after lunch, a few rounds of MadLibs were in order.

We saw one jogger heading up past us and into the mountain trails beyond and one older lady with a pitchfork headed up to search for some fresh additions for her dinner that evening.


This wonderful treasure, Le Parole d'Oro, just five kilometers or so away, left us relaxed…

...and a little silly.

I think we'll be returning.