The combination of old and new- thousand-year old religious carvings on the outside of buildings next to the newest electric cars- made Barga feel like it occupied a strange limbo of time. Though modest in size, Barga offered something deeply moving, a living intersection of past and present, local tradition and global influence, stillness and innovation. Compared to the hustle and bustle of my hometown of Washington, D.C., Barga immersed me in a mode of living rooted in reflection and relationships.

Over the course of my week-long visit, I discovered Barga is more than a picturesque destination. It is a thriving example of cultural syncretism and intentional community. It is a living time capsule, where medieval streets host art shows, Scottish-Italian traditions thrive, and centuries-old rituals like the sagra continue to nourish both body and soul. As a visibly Black family in a predominantly white rural town, my family stood out. Yet, we never felt unwelcome. Community, hospitality, and shared values bridged these gaps.

My journey brought to life the missions of both the Milken Institute and Milken Family Foundation: fostering mental and cultural well-being, encouraging experiential education, and promoting sustainable, connected communities. In Barga, I experienced firsthand how history, art, and intentional living can support more compassionate and resilient communities.

One of the hallmarks of rural Italian life is the sagra- a local food festival often tied to harvests, patron saints, or local history. While sagre may vary across Italian villages, in Barga, sagra are common in the summer time from July to September. Sagre are more than just food festivals- they are an example of “heritage entrepreneurship" where, among local communities, food gains social and economic weight (Anscione & Fink, 2021). Moreover, in their 2021 article on sagre in Umbria, Italy, scholars Elia Anscione and Christopher Fink argue that sagre bridge the gap between past and present food traditions by fostering intergenerational exchange. They also play a vital role in helping rural and suburban Italian communities resist the sense of marginalization that has come with losing prominence to urban centers.

The sagra my family and I attended in Barga embodied the idea of “heritage entrepreneurship,” showcasing restaurants run by the same families for generations and dishes made from local ingredients, especially pistachios, and meat and dairy products. Enjoying these late night outdoor dinners with strangers who eventually felt more like neighbors, I recognized a familiar cultural value: the joy of gathering. Similar to lots of cuisine in African American culture, dishes presented in nightly sagre were like historical artifacts with rich stories to tell. The distinctive culinary dishes of the Garfagnana region, the historical and geographic region within Tuscany that includes Barga, reflect past eras of economic hardship when villages like Barga made due with what was available. The cucina povera or kitchen of the poor has historical roots in rural peasant cooking but is now praised for its sustainability (Ballinger). Similarly, for the African American community, dishes like collard greens cooked with ham hocks also reflect surviving and making do with what was available. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, “enslaved African Americans stretched their allotments of food by growing greens and using scraps of meat to add flavor and nutrients” (Smithsonian).

Moreover, like Italian sagre, many familial and communal gatherings in the African American community are about more than food. They are about fostering intergenerational connections, passing down stories and knowledge, and affirming our identity despite adversity.

In an increasingly digital and isolating world, the sagra reminded me of the importance of offline, intentional community spaces for emotional and mental well-being. Likewise, this immersive, sensory learning reminded me of the importance of experiential, cross cultural education. In Barga, tradition wasn’t something preserved behind glass. It was alive, and we were welcomed into it.

The sagra also encapsulated another important aspect of Barga- cultural syncretism. Barga is often referred to as the “most Scottish town in Italy,” a nickname that captures the town’s unique cultural identity shaped by generations of migration and return. According to BBC Travel, this connection dates back to the early 20th century, when many residents of Barga left for Scotland during periods of economic turmoil and industrial decline. Seeking opportunities abroad, they formed tight-knit Italian communities in Scottish cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, and many of these communities still thrive today. Over time, families returned, bringing with them dual citizenship, bilingual children, and hybrid traditions that now define Barga’s cultural landscape (MacEacheran, 2025). One visible reflection of the Scottish-Barga connection I saw was a red telephone box, reminiscent of Scottish contemporary art, at a highly populated intersection in the town.

In addition to many local Bargans with Scottish roots, we encountered several Scotts who frequently vacation or have retired in Barga. Today, English appears alongside Italian on menus and signs. For over 40 years, Barga has hosted a beloved Fish & Chips Festival each summer, also known as the Sagra del Pesce e Patate, as a tribute to the connection (Rinaldi, 2022). While I didn’t get to experience the Fish & Chips festival, I was pleased to enjoy a meal at Giro di Boa, a fish restaurant founded by a Scottish-Italian couple. Giro di Boa celebrates Robert Burns Night, a Scottish holiday dedicated to its national poet, each January with a full Burn Supper (MacEacheran, 2025).

Barga demonstrates how migration can lead not to cultural loss, but to creative blending. This dual identity doesn’t erase the town’s Italian character; instead it enriches it. This kind of cultural adaptability is central to resilient, sustainable communities in an increasingly globalized world. In Barga, the past and present live side by side, and both speak in a lilting Scottish-Italian accent.