Cernobbio's Festa del Borgo: crowds celebrate as shops shut in protest
On September 19-20 the festival filled the historic borgo, but about 70 percent of the shops in the strettoia closed their shutters against the town's organizational choices. Talks with merchants set for October 6.
Translated from the Italian original. Leggi in italiano
Cernobbio's Festa del Borgo, held on September 19 and 20, brought two days of crowds and events to the historic center, but was marked by an unprecedented protest by local shopkeepers. According to We-News, about 70 percent of the businesses in the strettoia, the characteristic narrow stretch of via Regina, joined a shutdown against the organizational choices made by the town administration.
A strong stance, decided on the eve of the festival, that highlighted the tension between merchants and the administration led by mayor Matteo Monti. Shopkeepers object to how the event was organized, feeling they were not sufficiently involved in the decisions.
Program and institutional guests
Despite the shutdown, the festival drew good crowds. Mayor Monti attended alongside assessor Maria Angela Ferradini. The opening of the Notte Gialla, organized by Coldiretti Como-Lecco, was attended by undersecretary of the Interior Nicola Molteni. Among the most popular events, the visits to Sartoria Orefice sold out.
To allow the festival to take place, the town had closed the via Regina strettoia to traffic from 5pm to midnight on Saturday, September 19, and the historic center from 4pm to midnight the same day, as announced in the administration's official newsletter.
The October 6 talks
Commerce assessor Mario Della Torre, who leads the commerce portfolio, is tasked with mending the relationship with shopkeepers. A meeting between the administration and commerce representatives was set for October 6: on the agenda, the organizational model of the Festa del Borgo and, more broadly, merchants' involvement in the events that bring the borgo to life.
The September shutdown raised an issue that goes beyond a single festival: the role of shopkeepers in the historic borgo's life and dialogue with the town over decisions that directly affect their businesses. In a town where tourism keeps growing and commercial rents follow the same curve, neighborhood shops are asking to be protagonists, not spectators, of local events. The outcome of the October talks will show whether the rift can be healed ahead of upcoming events, starting with the holiday season.
