Casoli is 586 meters above sea level and 13 kilometers from the chief town.To reach this small village take the state road Brennero and at the junction of the bridge of Ponte Maggio cross the Lima.On the road to Casoli there is a beautiful view of the Balzo Nero and the nearby villages of Vico Pancellorum and Limano.Casoli is situated on a cliff with a vertical drop into the Lima. Mariano Giannini(1890-1972) in his book “il Pratofiorito” describes it like this:In front of but higher than Cocciglia, above ‘the straits’ on the right hand side of the Lima the cliff of Casoli, in darkness, seems dark green at the bottom with lots of scrubs, light blue at the top where the nude stone peak will be coloured a golden yellow by the sunset. On the cliff top theres a thin grey tower of Casoli Val di Lima, most of it is visible but from the side it seems to be situated on another hill.

The History
It’s remembered as a stronghold of the Lupar family in the parchment of 943,but when they had to leave the territory Casoli became part of the parish of Val di Lima.There remains two statutes of 1639 and 1782.In the17thcentury the plague killed alot of the popoulation of Casoli,people found shelter in the caves nearby.The castle was built in the 11thcentury,inside the perimeter the house of the guards is still visible.The guards could not have any sort of relationship with the inhabitants of Casoli by order of the repiblic of Lucca.In the fortress remains the tower and two circles of walls.In a hole high up in the tower the square ‘Gave’ of Limano can be seen.The parish church is dedicated to the S.S Donato e Andrea and is of roman origin but today there’s little left of its original structure.It has three aisles and a beautiful Baptism Fountain dated 1561.There are also two painting on cloth of the 17thcentury by Biagio Puccini, one on the alter is of the Madonna dell’Umiltà and the other is in the left hand aisle and is of the Madonna del Rosario con i Santi Domenico e Caterina.The organ is a Guiseppe Santarlasci and sons. There is also an oratory to the Madonna di Loreto.There is a small lake 700metres above sea level,surrounded by chestnuts,its dedicated to San Andrea, and a beautiful walk from Casoli to Casabasciana going by the muletrack,through woods and nature.

Famous People
Ambrogio Maria Barsotti (18thcentury) preacher, author of various ascetic verses
Francesco Puccini (1686-1782)named Geremia of Casoli-poet
Biagio Puccini pittore.