A view of Isola Santa from the dam - Credit: Serena Puosi
Isola Santa is a very old village, built in the Middle Ages around a lodging for travellers and pilgrims on the banks of the Turrite Secca river. In essence, it was a place where travellers could recover after making it along the Foce di Mosceta, a road between Versilia and Garfagnana.
In 1950, the construction of a hydroelectric power station forced the inhabitants to leave their homes. Years later, however, the old inhabitants decided to go back to the village to restore its ancient beauty and, in the 2000s, a renovation project brought life back to the shores of the lake. Despite that, Isola Santa is still somewhat of a ghost town; the houses are empty, and the population is generally comprised of trout fishermen and the odd traveller. Even if this place is off the beaten track, it is a village that seems to have been made to be painted or photographed.
If you do go, visit the Church of San Jacopo (built in 1260 as a lodging for pilgrims) and hike up towards the peaks of the Apuan Alps.
