Borducan closes: “Sacro Monte is abandoned.”

 It’s the most famous terrace in Varese. There is no generation which hasn’t enjoyed its balcony, which overlooks the Po Valley. However, its history is troubled. Since its historic owners, the guardians of the Elixir recipe, shut down, the Borducan finds no peace.

Therefore, also the last couple of overseers,  Rita Provenzano and Oliver Pelzmann, are definitively closing the main door tomorrow, Sunday 3 November, calling a halt to their two-and-a-half years experience: “It’s been a beautiful experience in an enchanting place,” says Rita, “ours, anyway, is a story similar to many others that happen daily in Italy. We can’t balance the accounts. For this reason, it is better  for us to stop as long as we are in time. We will continue this wonderful adventure somewhere else.”

Yes, because they have reached this decision not because of a wrong-business choice, but because of a enchanting place which is treated like “Cinderella”: “The affection of our costumers is clear on our Facebook page. We proposed a formula which had a lot of replies. Unfortunately, Sacro Monte is not supported.

The issue of parking and continuous fines ruins the most part of businesses. We also started to meet an increasing number of foreign tourists who came to our hotel because they were attracted by the landscape. But now we have winter ahead of us, an almost dead-season when we register only expenses. It’s better to stop now…”.

Last spring, just after the Easter holidays, the matter of accessibility to the Marian village was the centre of a controversy between retailers and the municipality. Drivers who went to Sacro Monte had to face a deluge of fines. Retailers complained asking for suitable solutions. The debate was set up when the administration was resolute to reject the application for revocation of fines, in particular in defence of residents and their gates. Therefore, the only solution to the problem is the building of a parking lot near the first chapel; a work that is expected to start in February 2014.

In any case, Rita and Oliver will continue their job: “We are looking for a less problematic and probably less extraordinary but more convenient place. What is sure is that we are not going to find a place like this one anymore. It was a unique experience. But I reaffirm that ours is a common story.

Therefore, the spectacular terrace is again available. Varese citizens and visitors hope that it will be accessible soon.