Bargi

Bargi lies 12Km away from Camugnano and has an important tradition in metalworking and arms' fabrication.

Bargi is a small village which belongs to the municipality of Camugnano. In ancient times, this village was renowned for metalworking (iron and bronze) and for the fabrication of arms; indeed, Bargi has a rich medieval history which has shaped the structure of the village and its trades and crafts. For a long time Bologna and Pistoia contended for Bargi's stronghold, but in the early XIV century the Panico Counts conquered it and established the castle as their shelter while sacking and raiding the Apennines; this led to Bargi's complete destruction, carried out in 1451 by the Bolognese people.

Nor far from Bargi and near Suviana lake there is a tiny village named Pianacci; this is the birthplace of the Acquafresca family, well-known metalworkers and armorers. Sebastiano Acquafresca was born here in 1619 and started the family's tradition. His son Matteo went on to become famous for his arquebuses, some of which are now displayed in museums in Turin, Florence and Birmingham; Matteo is also the author of an extremely refined snuffbox which belongs to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The small village of Cà dei Melati is the hometown of the Comelli family, though they were originally from Castel di Casio; the Comelli were refined craftsmen specialized in clocks (for towers), metal and wood works. Francesco Comelli became so renowned that in 1780 the senate of Bologna asked him to work in the city. There are several historical buildings in the area, amongst which the church of Bargi (end of XVII century), with a beautiful Baroque organ, and a mid-XVIII century bridge which has seats, along its edges, designed for wayfarers carrying panniers on their backs.