Livorno Three weeks have already passed since the opening of the bathing establishments in Livorno, but on the entrance gate of the Pancaldi baths there is still a sign which every day does not go unnoticed by the thousands of bathing season ticket holders. White background and black writing: “The swimming pool is closed”, signed by the management. No green light, no possibility of a dip in the pool in the Acquaviva area, a stone’s throw from the Sant’Jacopo pier. A service that subscribers and daily visitors to the bathroom had been expecting to be able to use for a long time and yet for now the sign is still there. And there have been many reports received by our newspaper regarding this problem. Before the opening on May 22nd, Giorgio Bonaventura, historic owner of the establishment adjacent to the Terrazza Mascagni, told the Tirreno that the goal would be to open the swimming pool by early June, immediately after having refurbished the gabion. Two weeks later than that date, as mentioned, everything is still closed.
«We are ready – Bonaventura begins – but we are waiting for the answers from the ASL Tuscany North West which now showed up at the Pancaldi ten days ago to carry out the classic surveys. The problem is precisely this delay in responses: the closure does not depend on us.” As soon as the green light arrives, the opening of the swimming pool, which is very popular during the summer with people of all ages, will be a matter of hours. «I was hoping it would arrive today (yesterday for those reading) so we could open this weekend. As soon as the results of the analyzes arrive, obviously if everything is in order, we will open the swimming pool the same day or at the latest the next – underlines the owner Giorgio Bonaventura – These are long analyzes which are then processed outside Livorno and the reason for the delay this is exactly what it is, something that harms us too. We tried to ask, but for now we too are waiting. Last year it was a bit the same story.”
The start of the summer season has certainly not been positive so far. This not only for the Pancaldi bathrooms, but for all the establishments. The reason? A fluctuating weather that has not yet found continuity in the temperatures and beautiful days that the people of Livorno love so much. A weather that so far has not yet allowed the factories to be filled which, especially at weekends, is practically the rule. «For now, the weather has allowed customers to enjoy the sea very little – says Bonaventura – In these first few weeks there are few people almost every day because the temperatures are what they are. It’s often cool in the morning, while maybe something improves in the afternoon. In recent years I struggle to remember summers with such difficult beginnings. We hope that there will be a turning point soon, because after a hard winter with storms and many problems, we would need some good weather”
