The beautiful thing about going through that narrow passage, which in a real narrow narrow narrow passage you find very few beautiful things, is that as soon as a bottleneck is created, a minimum traffic jam between those who come and those who go, no one gets angry, trumpets or shouts saints and deities against other motorists.
There is a general sense of commonality, of sincere solidarity. And after thirty-seven days it is surprising that there is still so much patience and tolerance among the almost isolated residents.
We are in Civiglio, a district of Como at 613 meters above sea level, more Brunate than Como, in fact. It was last May 15th when a landslide hit via dei Patrioti (in the stretch between the turn onto via Grotta and the cemetery), effectively mutilating the area of the main road connecting to the center (here is the story of the first hours) . And so to exit (and on the contrary to enter) you have to cross the bottleneck, which is via Ghislanzoni, pass through Ponzate, turn right towards Camnago Volta and then reach the centre, it is a road which is not impossible but which, we will see later However, it puts many people off.
Or there is another possible alternative, take via Cantore from Civiglio, go up to Brunate, then get off at Como. Another route that is not immediate for those who are used to a, let’s say, city guide.
In short, here is Civiglio. The neighborhood of the elementary school in the greenery today sought after by families from the center, the neighborhood that was a stronghold of the wealthy Milanese families of the 20th century in search of a cool and silent holiday, the neighborhood where you can breathe in the summer when elsewhere you are cramped in a warm, damp coat. The neighborhood that has lost most of its essential services over the years. Here is Civiglio theoasis-of-peace where now there is a forced peace, indeed a palpable sense of immobility.
Only the other evening, it was Monday 17 June, the residents presented themselves at the city council. They asked the mayor for clarification Alessandro Rapinese. Simple questions: “What’s happening? What will happen? When will the road reopen?”. We recounted the meeting, with video interviews, in this article.
Then there is Civiglio today, June 20th. Just before 6pm while the center is suffocating, the neighborhood already gives you all the reasons of the Milanese bourgeoisie that we were talking about above, it feels good. It’s the time when Crotto Civiglio opens its doors. In December it will celebrate ten years. It seems like yesterday but all this time has already passed since the legendary one Elisa Bernasconi, the absolute soul of Crotto, took over the structure (at the time with a partner) to relaunch it. It is the only commercial enterprise in the neighborhood active today.
And damn did Elisa make it. We are talking about a place more than loved by the people of Como and for the people of Como, far from the tourist routes. A place where cooking means respect for the product, where every dish is made of history and care. And where, finally, you can feel at home. It’s just our opinion, of course, but not a solitary one, on the contrary.
Elisa smiles bitterly at mocking fate. “You know? Ten years ago I started with a landslide. It was a disaster.”
Yes, the landslide of 2014.
Road closed for a year.
How did you do it then?
We had just left, I asked for a rent reduction. Then there were not as many employees as today.
You have been semi-isolated for thirty-seven days. I imagine it’s going badly, but how bad?
We are down 60% at the height of the season, these are very important months because we put aside for autumn and winter.
Your place is always packed but, obviously, in the cold seasons you only work on weekends.
Yes and now everything is blocked. Midday is dead for lunch, usually artisans and workers arrive. But they have vans and trucks, with the bottleneck it’s impossible for them to reach us.
And the evening?
Little or nothing, last Saturday we had the maximum attendance: 20 people. You understand that this is very hard.
The customers are not just from Como.
They are also Milanese and Swiss. Then when you explain that the alternative route is from Ponzate many give up, I just went to pick up two in Ponzate a few days ago. They get lost, they don’t know where to go. But even those who know the alternative routes often give up, they don’t feel like doing them. You know, even the residents of Garzola (neighborhood just below, Ed) who normally come to get pizzas on Saturday evenings have given up. I understand, they have to go through Brunate, they take time. We are at the end of June, the working season is likely to be over. Something has to change in July, but…
But?
More than someone says it will take at least eight months to restore the main road.
A catastrophe, in that case. Maybe it will take less.
I have five employees plus help, all on contract. I’m not the one who doesn’t pay at the end of the month, on the contrary. But May was terrible, June too. If it takes eight months to return to normality I will give the keys to the Crotto to Mayor Rapinese.
What do you ask?
I’m not asking for much, but at least they reopen half a lane to cars and pedestrians, not to mention heavy vehicles. The owners of the collapsed land have already put up sheets and if you look at the road it is practically clean. I understand safety, I understand everything but there are families here who need to work. Even the holiday homes in the neighborhood are paying a heavy price.
But it’s important to say it, especially to people from Como: Crotto Civiglio is open.
Yes it is open.
June is the month of the summer black truffle and you usually empty the pantry in no time.
Not this time, we still have some.
You see? A great reason to take the bottleneck and join you.
Yes (smiles).
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