Bagni means ‘Baths’ in English so it should be no surprise that this city is very well known for its natural sulphuric hot springs that scourge from the Colle di Corsena. It seems that wherever there are hot springs, you can find traces from the Etruscan and Roman civilization- adding to its historical significance and charm. The wonderful hot springs, called ‘terme,’ are a great attraction for those who would like to naturally treat slight ailments of the body and skin, but also for those looking for a moment of repose and relaxation. Bagni di Lucca rests high above sea level in the beautiful mountains north east of Lucca in Tuscany and there are many things to do involving art, culture, history, and well being.
One interesting tourist attraction that rests just outside of Bagni di Lucca in Borgo a Mozzano is the afore mentioned bridge called ‘Ponte della Maddalena’ by some and ‘Ponte del Diavolo’ (Devil’s Bridge) by others. This bridge was built over the Serchio River and is a unique and beautiful example of medieval construction with an interesting shape to its structure- not to mention an enchanting legend associated with it.
The story goes…
There was a medieval master builder who was commissioned to create a beautiful bridge in a short period of time. He gladly took on the challenge, but as he started construction, he realized that it was going to be much more difficult than he had originally anticipated and his deadline was rapidly approaching. After exhausting himself and the workers by trying to build his innovative design that absolutely needed to be completed by the following day, the Devil took wind of his predicament and proposed a deal.
The Devil offered to finish the bridge in one night, complete and perfect, but in return he required the first soul to pass over the bridge. The ingenious yet exhausted builder weighed his options; in the end he saw no other way and reluctantly agreed. He went to sleep that night but upon waking up the next day and seeing that his bridge was perfectly built and just as beautiful as he wanted it to be, he felt an immediate surge of guilt. Being a small village, he knew everyone personally and was quite unwilling to sacrifice himself or one of his fellow village men to an eternity in hell just to complete his end of the pact! Instead, he decided to play a risky trick on the Devil by sending a pig across instead of a man. The plan seemed to have worked, but after the Devil realized he had been duped, he returned in a fury to get revenge by destroying the bridge that he had just created. Luckily for the builder, his debt was technically repaid so the Devil was unable to destroy the bridge. Instead, when the Devil tried with all his might to pull the rocks apart with his hands, the arch which he grabbed hold of didn’t break, it only became larger and higher than the succeeding arches. Embarrassed, the Devil fled and once again left the little town in peace, forever leaving his mark by having given the bridge its unique and telltale shape.