The “Girometta d’oro” award goes to hotel Palace

This year, the “Girometta d’oro” award has not gone to a person, but to a building.

The award for the “year’s most outstanding citizen of Varese” has gone to the Palace Hotel, which is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this very year.

The award has gone to “a symbol of the town, which stands over us and characterizes the skyline of the town”, as Prefect Giorgio Zanzi fittingly pointed out, and which was handed to Claudio Maria Castiglioni, whose management has been awarded, together with the still historical Art Nouveau building, which is still operating, and which, this year, is celebrating this achievement with numerous events. “I have to thank you, it was a great surprise for me,” Castiglioni said. “When you work with dedication, you don’t imagine that your work will lead to such results. I’ve worked at the Palace Hotel for 17 years, and I also run other family businesses, but coming back to the Palace for me is like coming back home. We put our hearts and souls into our work.” (photo gallery of the ceremony)

However, the day was not only dedicated to the Girometta award and to the Palace; it started with a colourful gathering of VW Beetles in the Estense gardens (photo gallery), and the celebration of St. Victor, the martyr and patron saint of Varese; then, awards were also given to Angelo Buzzetti and Elisabetta Brumana for their careers. Until 1993, Angelo Buzzetti had been in charge of the trials and flight tests at the aeronautical company, Aermacchi. “I worked with extraordinary people, but I started as a technician at the company, travelling around the world. I was in charge of the technical support on the models sold, and I travelled with my wife; in fact, my daughter was born in South Africa, in 1966.”

Elisabetta Brumana was awarded for her 33-year career at Telecom. “I dedicate this award to my parents’ lifetime of work at the Brumana haberdasher’s: they worked hard and made a piece of the town’s history, but they never received such an award.”

A special prize from the Bosina family has also gone to the Molteni Music Shop, for its 100^th anniversary. “This award isn’t just for me, but for the four generations of my family, who have served the town.” This was the comment of the representative of the family, who accepted the plaque. After the ceremony at the Estense Palace, the mass with the burning sphere, in the San Vittore Church (photo gallery), and the flag-wavers brought the sunny day, in celebration of the patron saint, to a close.