Lombardy is one of the most interesting, rich and active regions in Italy, and not from today as the working village of Crespi d’Adda testifies.
It is a place that we could define as out of time, the demonstration of the will to create a new way of life, mixing work and sociality so as to obtain a unique result.
The importance of this place was recognized internationally when, in 1995, the village was included by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The origins and history of Crespi d’Adda
The origins of the working village of Crespi d’Adda date back to the end of the 19th century, when the regions of northern Italy such as Lombardy and Piedmont were experiencing the period of the Industrial Revolution. In 1878 an entrepreneur, Cristoforo Benigno Crespi, had the idea of building a real village around his textile industry.
The aim was to provide the workers working in the factory and their families with everything they needed to live a decent life, starting from housing. There was a school for children, a small hospital and even a church.
As far as the houses were concerned, they were all dwellings of a certain standard for those times: they were fairly large houses, all with vegetable garden.
Several important professionals of the time were responsible for the project: Gaetano Moretti, Angelo Colla, Ernesto Pirovano and Pietro Brunati.
A self-sufficient village
The Workers’ Village of Crespi d’Adda was a unique example of attention to modernity. The community was self-sufficient in many respects, starting with energy. In the decades following the foundation of the community, a real hydroelectric power plant was built, which supplied Crespi d’Adda with electricity useful not only for the factory, but also for private buildings.
In the ideas of the Crespi family there was a desire to give their employees everything that could be needed for them to have a good quality of life. For this reason, the village project included not only the workers’ houses and factory, but also essential elements for social life, such as a school, church, hospital and even a theatre.
Religious services and festivities, events that revolved around the church, had a decidedly important role within the community. They were real moments of aggregation.
Foto: Unsplash
The return of Crespi d’Adda
Despite having been a very successful experiment, the Workers’ Village of Crespi d’Adda has been confronted with the typical changes of the passage of time.
The 1970s were a watershed: from that moment on, the village began a period of decline and depopulation, which changed its face socially rather than structurally.
With the ’90s the trend has been reversed. The addition of Crespi d’Adda to the UNESCO World Heritage Site gave this place new attention on a national and international level, and we understood the great historical and cultural value of this place.
Today it is an important tourist site, suitable for those who want to deepen the theme of industrial archaeology. You can visit the main structures, so admire this particular complex, unique in its kind.
How to reach Crespi d’Adda
Getting to Crespi d’Adda is really easy. The village is not far from the main centres of this area of Lombardy: it is about 20 km from Bergamo and about 35 km from Milan.
If you are driving, we recommend that you take the A4 motorway from Milan to Venice. Take the exit Capriate San Gervasio and from there follow the clear indications that lead you to Crespi d’Adda. Another alternative for those travelling on four wheels is the SS525.
There is no train stop in Crespi d’Adda, so if you prefer to use public transport we recommend you to get off at Bergamo or Trezzo sull’Adda and from there take the buses that reach the village.
The flavors of yesteryear
The new importance that Crespi d’Adda has gained in recent decades has led to the development of numerous activities related to catering, where tourists can taste typical dishes from the province of Bergamo.
For example, you might decide to taste casoncelli alla bergamasca. They are ravioli with a meat core, to which is added the seasoning usually composed of bacon, butter and sage.
If you are a cheese and dairy enthusiast, you could taste the Taleggio and Gorgonzola, maybe buying a pack to take away and put on your table for friends and relatives.
Finally, we recommend you try the polenta taragna. Two different types of flour are mixed, corn and buckwheat, which gives the polenta taragna a darker color than the classic one.
Copertina: Unsplash
