A HISTORIC town in Italy is set to celebrate its “extraordinary connection” with Scotland with a three-day festival featuring Highland traditions and a whole lot of bagpipes.
The medieval Tuscan town of Barga is known as the “most Scottish town in Italy” and will celebrate its connections with Scotland, which stretch back more than a century, from September 4-6.
The Tuscan town will be transformed into “a little piece of Scotland” with local restaurants and eateries adding a “Scottish flavour” to their menu with a selection of traditional dishes, while local associations will join the celebrations by serving “authentic Scottish street food”.
Bagpipes will also echo through the medieval streets, as festival-goers in kilts will gather for a pint, and Tuscan and Scottish accents mingle in cafes, restaurants and squares.
The festival aims to celebrate the connection between the country and the Italian hilltop town that began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when many families from Barga emigrated to Scotland.
Those who emigrated to Scotland soon established restaurants, cafes, fish-and-chip shops and other businesses, with their success creating a lasting connection between the two communities, along with a cultural relationship that continues today.
In 1895, Luigi Lemetti and his wife Maddalena opened their fish-and-chip shop in Camelon, Falkirk.
More than 130 years later, their family's connection with both Scotland and Barga continues with their grandchildren, Irene and Michael Lemetti, being among those taking part in the festival.
Michael Lemetti, a designer, created the Italian Tartan as well as the commemorative tartan celebrating the friendship between Barga and Glasgow, turning the intertwined history of the two communities into a “distinctive visual symbol”.
Another connection leads from Barga to Paisley, where the historic Castelvecchio chippy was managed until 2025 by Alfredo Nutini, a native from Barga and father of internationally acclaimed Scottish singer Paolo Nutini.
Festival organisers said the Nutini family's story is another example of how generations of emigrants from Barga became part of Scotland's “social and cultural life while maintaining strong links with their Tuscan roots”.
They added that these historical ties continue through cultural and institutional connections involving Barga, Glasgow and South Ayrshire, promoting tourism, cultural exchange and friendship between Tuscany and Scotland.
A spokesperson for the festival said: “For three days, Barga will not simply host a Scottish festival. It will celebrate a part of its own identity — and a friendship between Tuscany and Scotland that has crossed borders and generations.
“Raise your glasses and join the celebration: Slàinte mhath!”
The Barga Scottish Festival is organised by the BargaScot Association and the Municipality of Barga.
This year’s festival programme will include Highland Games, live music, bagpipes, Scottish food and drink, cultural events and international delegations.
