Vagli Sotto, Italian comune
Vagli Sotto is a small commune in the Province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany, perched on a hillside above the artificial Lake Vagli. The village is built in local stone with terracotta roofs, and its streets are narrow and steep, winding between houses that face the surrounding mountains.
The village existed in the Middle Ages as part of a network of small mountain settlements in the Apuan Alps, supported by farming and woodland work. The biggest change came in the mid-20th century when a dam was built nearby, flooding the valley floor and reshaping the landscape around the commune.
The name Vagli Sotto comes from the Latin word "vallis", meaning valley, which points directly to its position in a mountain hollow. Walking through the stone lanes, you notice how the buildings are tightly grouped together, giving the village a close-knit feel that still shapes daily life here.
The streets are narrow and steep, so the village is best seen on foot, and sturdy shoes are helpful on the uneven stone surfaces. A visit in summer or early autumn works well, as the lake level is often lower during those months and the surrounding trails are easier to walk.
Beneath the lake that borders Vagli Sotto lies the submerged village of Fabbriche di Careggine, flooded when the dam was built in the 1940s. On rare occasions when the water level drops far enough, the stone walls and even the old cemetery rise above the surface, drawing visitors from far away.
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