Italiano
Piazza Garibaldi is the central square of Barzio,[^] beating heart of the Valsassina town, surrounded by public establishments, it is a meeting place for residents, holidaymakers and tourists, where in the middle the scene is dominated by the Lion, the bronze statue of the Barzio War Memorial. The square was dedicated in 1885 or 1886 to Giuseppe Garibaldi, the very famous leader and patriot who unified Italy with the Expedition of the Thousand. Before then, the square was simply the municipal square.
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi is vaguely circular, of modest size, in a privileged position, at 769 meters of altitude, almost flat, on top of a slope; towards the valley, which is to the west, it enjoys the splendid scenery of the Grigne, more of the Grignone than the Grignetta, to the east it is closed by the coast of the mountain that rises steeply towards Pequeno and Piani di Bobbio. The square is a crossroads, because Via Roma, Via Ippolito Manzoni, Via Alessandro Manzoni, Via Rena, Via Francesca Manzoni converge; the greatest flow of vehicles comes from the climb of Via Roma. The premises of the square identify the town for trade and tourism, two multi-storey sports shops, Sorgente Sport and Marocco Sport, three bar caffetteria, Châlet, Bar Sport, Bar Principe, one restaurant, the Locanda di Mirò, the Alimentare Milano. The life of those who frequent the square is disturbed by the passage of cars and vans. Parking is allowed in two spaces in front of public places, which further narrows the square, parking in no-parking zones is common. The street furniture is typical of a well-kept and clean tourist place, paving in cobblestones interspersed with pebbles and flower pots, with colourful orange and yellow marigolds, and red begonias, around the monument to the fallen the space is pedestrian,[^][^] as well as in front of numbers 3 and 4. On the corner upstream, the Church of Sant'Alessandro martire stand out laterally and its bell tower with the clock. According to the Stradario di Barzio (Barzio Street Directory), Piazza Garibaldi is in porphyry, 42 meters long and 31 meters wide.[^] In my discussion I will use Piazza Garibaldi much more than Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, as it is found in documents and website addresses; on the street signs in the square there is also Giuseppe. Since there are no other squares in the town, except small squares, square in Barzio can only be Garibaldi Square.
Barzio War Memorial
In Piazza Garibaldi a lion stands out at more than two meters high, how could it not? The lion is a bronze statue on a rust-colored stone, the main element of the Barzio War Memorial, which, slightly tilted upwards, stares with a gaze that cannot be said whether haughty or astonished at the low and older houses of the square. The monument to the fallen of Barzio is in a small raised pedestrian area closed by two long metal chains hanging from granite pillars, on the pavement the coat of arms of Barzio, around a small cypress, a red maple, to the side a large bench and behind two smaller ones. The monument rests on a base of stone and white marble, where in the corner there are two epigraphs: Barzio to his fallen and three verses by Renzo Buzzoni, Ruggi non domo ed eco fa il Pioverna / forte nell'ugne il tricolor serri / simbol che nostra fe' nel bronzo eterna (Roar not tame and echo makes Pioverna / strong in the nails the tricolor thight / symbol that our faith in bronze eternal). On the stone, next to the lion's claws, the tip of what appears to be a bronze flag. Symbolically the lion with courage and strength defends the tricolor, that is, Italy. The bronze statue is the work of Giuseppe Mozzanica. Behind the lion rises a granite stele a few meters high, with two bronze bas-reliefs, in opposite directions by Michele Vedani: in the first, behind the lion's head, a woman kisses a soldier who is leaving for war and a child clings to her skirt, in the other a soldier raises a flag. In the direction of the mountain, on three white tombstones inclined in red are printed the names of the fallen of Barzio in the recent wars, a soldier fallen in the war in Africa 1896, the fallen in the First World War 1915-1918 and in the Second World War, 1940-1945.[^][^] The monument was inaugurated in 1952, rebuilt on the remains of the first monument to the fallen. The old monument, inaugurated on 26 August 1923, lay in a state of decay after the original statue of the lion positioned in the opposite direction to the current one was stolen to be melted down during the war period.
Bars, ice cream shops, restaurants, grocery stores, sports shops, others
Giuseppe Garibaldi Square owes its vitality to its location and to the numerous public places,[^] bars, cafes, ice cream parlors, restaurants, pizzerias, grocery stores and sports shops, some of which were established in the 60s and 70s, when the town and the valley were the favourite mountain tourist destination for the Milanese. In the first half of the twentieth century there were hotels. The shops are family-run with commercial activities that have continued for several generations. I describe Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi following the numbering of the street numbers, which increase clockwise starting from the place downstream, in front of the war memorial, the historic Châlet. In Barzio the rule is to indicate more street numbers where there are shops or more entrances in the same building.
Châlet
In a dominant position towards the valley in the very central square of Barzio, Piazza Garibaldi 1 Telephone 0341 996123, stands the elegant Châlet building, which is a restaurant, pizzeria, bar, ice cream parlor, cream shop[^] also according to what is reported on the two advertising signs at the crossroads of Via Roma. The building is unmistakable for its shape with three inverted V-shaped vaults above the windows and the word Châlet in white above the roof; it was built on 1931 on an extension of the square. The external space is large and faces the square, separated by multiple concrete vases with hedge plants. On white worked tables and chairs sheltered by umbrellas you can have breakfast, an aperitif, a cup of ice cream, a sorbet; an adult chestnut tree is ornamental and provides shade.[^] The interior is a large room with large windows so as to appreciate the view of the Grigne, the bar is tucked away in a room on the right for those entering, there is also a small aquarium. Under the building there is a private well-kept lawn with plants, including two exotic ones, an aurantia and a palm, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, visible from Via Roma, a dog, alongside the Fiumetta stream flows. The new restaurant with wood oven, bar and ice cream parlor was inaugurated in 1967 by Peppino Arrigoni Marocco, who was an Alpine soldier and ski instructor, and his wife Carla Longhi. Two of the three daughters, Daniela and Ida, continue the business.
Sorgente Sport
Sorgente Sport in Piazza Garibaldi 2, sorgentesport.com, tel. 0341 910225, is more than a sports shop, because there is an assortment of casual clothing, household goods, appliances as well as a ski repair shop; in short, in Barzio they are ingenious in matching clothing to the needs of the holidaymakers' homes. The building is free-standing, to the right of the Chalet, sufficiently distanced, the only two on the valley side of the square; the roof is made of sheet metal and above Sorgente Sport is in red. The shop is on two floors, on the ground floor the entrance with two windows, on the left side five, sale signs attract attention. In such a large space, shoes and boots of various brands, as well as jackets, t-shirts, shorts, socks, so that the customer regulates himself on the prices. On display are bikes, deckchairs and gas cylinders, in fact many houses in Barzio or the surrounding area do not have a gas supply; The cylinders are sold without delivery and connection. Entering the spacious shop, welcomed by kind sales assistants, both sports items and everyday clothing. Shoes, boots, running and cycling clothing are downstairs, in the basement compared to the square but not towards the valley because the ground is lower. The lower floor can also be accessed from outside the shop with a staircase protected by a plexiglass roof, on a white sign placed on the ground, fridge, kitchens, washing machine, price ok, on another Free delivery. In front of the shop, two concrete parking bollards in the shape of a panettone painted orange and the owner's small white Piaggio van.[^] The registered trademark is La Sorgente di Arrigoni Marocco Ida & C.[^]
Marocco Sport
Crossed by Sorgente Sport on the pedestrian crossing Via Ippolito Manzoni, which slopes gently to the left, is a large three-story building painted white, which occupies the entire north side of Garibaldi Square and turns into Via Alessandro Manzoni, plus two windows to the west; above the first floor is a balcony. On the ground floor and the first floor is Marocco Sport, address Piazza Garibaldi 3 and Piazza Garibaldi 4, maroccosport.it, telephone 0341 996 191, a specialized store for sporting goods, clothing, accessories and equipment, with five windows per floor. The name is written on the sign above the shop in white on a green background, as well as on the awnings that protect from the sun, the same color as the shutters of the house. The ground floor is along a narrow portico where outside the windows there are rows of mountain shoes, which for the layman are now indistinguishable from any running shoe, ski boots, backpacks. In front of the shop there is a small area protected from the passage of vehicles, where every morning the clerks display numerous bicycles standing on racks that they take away when the shop closes, including the expensive e-bikes, the two-wheelers can also be rented. In winter in Barzio they can't help but show off their skis, for sale or for rent, because above the town there are the Piani di Bobbio ski lifts. On the ground floor, about half a meter below the road, many shoes, for running, mountain, with the most recent models, and more elegant shoes. Of note is the specialized laboratory for the assistance and repair of bicycles and skis. The upper floor is accessible from inside the shop with a staircase or a few steps from the street because the square is slightly sloping, where there are four or five green gas cylinders, number 4. You can choose technical clothing for the mountains or for everyday wear with the best brands. Straddling the end of the pedestrian area and parallel to Via Alessandro Manzoni, the red car of Marocco Sport Rinascenza is parked. The property is called Marocco Sport La Rinascenza sas di Arrigoni Neri Gianfranca e C;[^] the household appliances shop of the same company is located in Via Ippolito Manzoni 11. The Marocco Sport brand was born in 1962, and has been in the square since the beginning of the 80s, in the building that was the famous Albergo Stella in the twentieth century.
Piazza Garibaldi 5 and Piazza Garibaldi 6
Continuing the tour of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi according to the movement of the hands of a clock, leaving Marocco Sport and crossing the narrow Via Alessandro Manzoni from which vehicles enter the square, I'm along the buildings upstream. Hanging on a wall is a notice board of Dimore Agenzia Immobiliare di Barbara Locatelli,[^] whose headquarters are right next door, Via Alessandro Manzoni 6.
In Piazza Garibaldi 5, a white two-story building with balconies plus a window above, for sale for ten years with a shutter closed on the street, which many remember as having been the post office of Barzio, which has only moved a few meters, in Via Alessandro Manzoni 4. The red post box where to post mail remains in the same position. Here also numerous signs, one is square on a white background, Palazzo Manzoni with three headings, next to which there is a drawing: Municipal Offices, Municipal Police and Library on the left; the building is just fifty meters away. Above this two brown arrows, Palazzo Manzoni Museo M. Rosso Itinerary LC0102 on the left and Chiesa S. Alessandro Itinerary LC0101 on the right; then also Valsassina Ski Team (near the Town Hall)[^] and the video-surveilled area of the Municipality of Barzio.[^]
In Piazza Garibaldi 6, another place that cannot find anyone who wants to start a commercial activity, which comes from its out-of-the-way location and from tourism that lasts only two months in the summer and ten days at Christmas. The house is narrow and on two floors, uninhabited, the balcony is on the second floor. The window is used for advertising purposes with panels and a digital installation that scrolls with writings. So Piazza Garibaldi lives off Piani di Bobbio because Martino Sport since 1966[^] has been carrying out its activity in the area at 1650 meters above Barzio, right where the cable car arrives. The activity is double because in addition to the sale and rental of ski equipment, heated storage lockers, there is Martino restaurant, which is also a bar and sandwich shop, direct sale of local cheeses at high altitude.[^] Contacts: www.martinosport.it, info@martinosport.it, tel. 0341 910246, cell. 340 4142266.
Bar Sport
Moving towards the centre of the square, without any continuity between the buildings, here is a two-storey pink house with three white shutters per floor, a long balcony is only on the second floor. Above the old wooden door in the stone facade of Piazza Garibaldi 7 there is the historic street name plaque Piazza G. Garibaldi probably dating back to the early twentieth century.[^] In the same building, which faces the pretty monument to the fallen in correspondence with the gravestones, Piazza Garibaldi 8, telephone 0341 911054, two windows of Bar Sport, the name has remained unchanged for seventy years. Inside, tables surrounded by black and white photos of Barzio, outside more numerous in a double version: the closest to the entrance, protected by a permanent structure, a solution that makes them usable even when it's cold, others in the open towards the square. The aesthetics are not the most appreciable; instead Bar Sport[^] is one of the most popular places in the town, day and night. Not only coffee, cappuccino, brioche and ice cream, but piadinas, salads, beer;[^] at the counter, scratch cards and top-ups of all kinds. On the awning that shelters from the sun Caffe' Sport Gelateria. In front of the place two wooden benches, where holidaymakers and tourists usually sit, in the middle a large stone vase with three shelves and a Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi street sign in sheet metal, which does not require a supporting wall, next to a two-light pole.
Bar Principe and La Locanda di Mirò
I move to the right of the square passing a driveway, Piazza Garibaldi 9, inside there are private parking spaces. Further upstream from the building in Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi 8, a long inhabited house of three floors, which has the particularity of having the balcony of the first floor that continues towards a building that protrudes further out than the house, of only one floor and with a sloping roof. On the second and third floors of the first part of the house, two smaller balconies, like the previous ones have wooden slats. The lateral part of the building extends for about ten meters and with numerous windows on Via Rena; the walls run along the course of the Fiumetta torrent, which crosses the building and continues under the roadway.
In Piazza Garibaldi 10, for the Bar Principe, telephone 0341 997350, you go up three steps to enter the premises or stay outside on the terrace or raised balcony from which hang well-groomed geraniums. The premises have four windows facing the square, above the awning, spaced apart, three entries Caffetteria Gelateria Bar Principe. On the wall at the entrance there is a heraldic coat of arms and two black boards, Wine Bar Aperitivi della casa Tavola fredda and Granite fredde Gelato di produzione artigianale. On the rightmost window, in large Tavola Fredda and below sandwiches piadina toast.[^] In front, under the terrace, timed parking for three cars. The view from the slightly raised position is stupendous, diagonally, the war memorial with the lion in the centre of the square, behind the Châlet, in the background the Grignone going up. At the outdoor tables, you can have breakfast with brioche and cabiadini or have a coffee, perhaps reading La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Provincia di Lecco, or you can chat with friends or relatives with an ice cream or sipping an aperitif.[^] In winter, the activity takes place inside. Once upon a time the entire building was the Albergo Principe.
In the building on the right of the palace, in a typical chalet-like construction, you can finally have lunch or dinner in Piazza Garibaldi. La locanda di Mirò has two internal rooms and five outdoor tables, protected by plexiglass dividers. To get a seat, you need to book because there are not enough seats to satisfy requests. The first room is medium-sized, the second small; the side windows overlook Via Rena. On the glass to the left of the entrance, cellar food & music pizzeria; on the one on the right repeats, without much imagination, steakhouse food & music pizzeria; on the base of a circular balcony on the first floor, Restaurant. The restaurant in Piazza Garibaldi 11, lalocandadimiro.com, telephone 0341 911125, specializes in the preparation of meat-based dishes, typical mountain dishes and excellent pizzas.[^] You can order for takeaway with whatsapp number 379 262 7408. The restaurant opened in 2003 and is appreciated for its quality more or less by everyone, inhabitants of the valley, holidaymakers, tourists, the prices are good considering it is in the heart of Barzio, the positive reviews, which more than the food are affected by the waiting times and the somewhat suffocating space.[^]
Ufficio turistico di Barzio
After the intersection of the steep Via Rena, where there is a Stop sign on the asphalt but no pedestrian crossing, in a corner of the square of the patriot who died in Caprera in 1882, under a panoramic balcony to the side of the parish church of Barzio, in Piazza Garibaldi 12, there is the tourist office of Barzio,[^] telephone 0341 996988, and the headquarters of the association "Le Contrade",[^] assuming it still exists. Next to it, a characteristic mountain fountain with a spout and a long stone basin, if you are thirsty the water is good.[^]
Cartoleria giornali libri giocattoli dischi
Continuing to walk around the square clockwise I ended up in a hidden corner, next to the stone basin that has water about thirty centimeters high, a kiosk that sold newspapers, hard to find anyone who remembers it being open because so many years have passed. Newspapers and magazines can be bought in the shop next door, above the entrance a dated sign, Stationery (Cartoleria) in the middle, next to it smaller newspapers books toys records (giornali libri giocattoli dischi), on the house three more, Il Giorno, La Provincia di Lecco, La Gazzetta di Lecco e Provincia. The entrance is on the corner of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, in the three-storey house on Via Francesca Manzoni 1 which overlooks the square; from its appearance it could be the most recent of all, built perhaps in the 1960s. The shop is large, it has five windows, three of which go up to Via Manzoni. La Bottega di Pegth, as the business is called now, has many nice things that can be found today in a newsstand and in a stationery shop, and offers some services, such as photocopies and parcel collection.[^]
I leave the pleasant view of the narrow uphill street of Via Francesca Manzoni, obviously one-way, from the square to the street, also indicated by the arrow on a pole. On the same, a road sign narrowing 2 meters, a yellow sign Municipality of Barzio authorization for discharge n. 135 of 22.03.2006 discharge n. 2.2 Fiumetta valley (meaning that the stream flows covered!) and another with a surveillance camera. Next to it, along a side wall of a yellow house, a notice board ANA Barzio (National Association of the Alpine Group of Barzio).[^][^] After a few meters of an imaginary sidewalk, where it is likely that someone parks in a no-parking zone, once you turn the corner of the house you find the square open to the valley.
Alimentare Milano
On the south side of the square, three houses of similar construction, large windows, shutters, balconies, embellished with vases, mainly geraniums, that look west towards Grignone and north towards Monte Angelone. They are the oldest buildings in the square, also known as Buzzoni and Arrigoni houses, the surname of the families who owned them in past centuries; the first, painted yellow, is the one that just came down from. The inhabitants enter from a portico in Via Francesco Manzoni 4, behind the square.
Three steps down the sidewalk is Piazza Garibaldi 13, which is nothing more than a room in the shop next door, which only the owners have access to. Then, there is L'Alimentare Milano in Piazza Garibaldi 14, who doesn't know it? It has been here since 1951,[^] so popular that it competes with Leone (the Lion) for the fame of the square. The large shop window enchants many tourists who don't even realize that they are obstructing or blocking the passage of the narrow paved sidewalk. The assortment of food really entices you to come in and buy,[^] in fact between 11 and 12 there is a queue outside. Displayed in aluminum trays ready to take away, pizzoccheri, polenta, gialla and taragna, typical mountain dishes, in steaming pots, lentils, cooked meat; then cheeses, arancini, pizzas, sweets, such as cabiadini and torta sabbiosa,[^] wrongly leaving out other tasty specialities, and to digest the Amaro del Monte di Muggio. In 2024, the Alimentare Milano store was renovated, becoming more modern and functional, an important sign because the third generation of the family intends to continue the business. On the other hand, it has lost some of its originality, and nostalgics already miss the characteristic green and white awning with Panini - Pizza - Focaccia and on the sides Panini Salumi Formaggi and the real Cabiadini specialties of Barzio, the entrance closed by unlikely but nice fabric cylinders and the advertising sign on the balcony railing of the second floor, Alimentare Pane ...Rosticceria.[^] I forgot the telephone number 0341 99620 of the delicatessen rotisserie. Outside, a new structure follows the previous idea, two tables with benches where you can eat your meal, which on Saturday and Sunday at noon is an insufficient space for the number of customers.
tagli e dettagli
The next house is three-storey, the width of the houses on this side of the square dedicated to the patriot of Ligurian origin is modest, that of two rooms with French windows on the balcony with railings. The building is painted white, the balconies embellished with geranium pots improve the appearance of the square. The two windows of Piazza Garibaldi 15 host a hairdresser, tagli e dettagli( cuts and details) for men and women by Grazia,[^] telephone 371 347 4349.
Gelateria Pepi
The third house on the south side of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi is two-story, brown with decorations, balconies with brown slats, the one on the first floor has only one French window. In Piazza Garibaldi 16, a wooden door. In Piazza Garibaldi 17, Gelateria Mister Pepi, which occupies the space of a shop window. The artisanal ice cream shop opened a few years ago,[^][^] there had been no ice cream shop only in the town for decades, and in fact there are always people, some consuming cones and cups on the benches in front. Next to it is a building with only one ground floor, with some wooden panels and a shutter covered with posters of ice cream cones, Piazza Garibaldi 18. Above, a balcony of the house, which continues towards the first odd numbers of Via Roma.
I complete the 360° tour of the square by crossing the pedestrian crossing that cuts across the uphill road of Via Roma to return in front of the Châlet and the bronze lion's mane.
Small pedestrian area in front of Marocco Sport with beautiful hedges
In front of numbers 3 and 4, in correspondence with the windows of Marocco Sport, there is a small pedestrian space that goes unnoticed but is pleasant and well designed. The part closest to the sports shop is used by the business itself to display bikes, going up towards number 4 there are shrubs of various species cut and worked so that they are no taller than one meter, creating an enviable hedge composition. Moving away, a cobblestone sidewalk,[^] then two benches, a pole with two lights and two hanging video surveillance cameras of the Municipality of Barzio. The road is divided by a flowerbed of small red maples. The area forces vehicles coming from Via Alessandro Manzoni heading towards Via Ippolito Manzoni to make a wide curve.
Traffic
Before the twentieth century the square was essentially a place where streets crossed, without commerce, with the nobler houses in the nearby streets. The square took on greater importance with two new roads towards the valley, the opening of Via Ippolito Manzoni at the end of the nineteenth century and of Via Roma in 1930, a new connection to Cremeno, and a double enlargement, for the monument to the fallen in 1923 and of the space where the Châlet ice cream bar is now located shortly afterwards. The two most recent streets are now the two main directions of vehicles in the central square of Barzio, the others are Via Alessandro Manzoni, Via Rena, Via Francesca Manzoni, for a total of five! Vehicle circulation is subordinate to Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi; excluding Via Rena, the other four have numerous commercial activities, which together with the square constitute the historical and economic center of Barzio.
Vehicles entering the square from the sufficiently wide one-way street of Via Roma, where there is parking on one side, go around the war memorial and go down one-way onto Via Ippolito Manzoni or turn right onto Via Rena or Via Francesca Manzoni. In truth, it is not recommended to drive into the square because there is very little parking and the exit is through narrow streets, with pedestrians on the sides and in the middle, or steep. There are two other entrances to the square, also to be avoided: the very narrow Via Alessandro Manzoni, from Via Dante or going down from the Cemetery at the Robiasca, and the steep Via Rena, two-way, where at the top there is a small parking lot and the road continues to go up or down like Via per Concenedo. Vehicles from Via Alessandro Manzoni can choose to turn right onto Via Ippolito Manzoni or cross the square, which for a very short stretch becomes a two-way street, crossing those of Via Roma or Via Rena that go towards Via Ippolito Manzoni. There is no room for two cars side by side, at least there are two signs giving priority to those turning left or right from Via Roma into the square, where the space of the war memorial ends, and two signs in the opposite direction prohibiting access. All this while pedestrians walk in the middle of the square of the most touristic location in Valsassina. At least it is clear that vehicles from the square, dedicated to the general born in Nice in 1807, towards Via Alessandro Manzoni cannot go there at all because of a large red and white no entry sign and a blue one, arrow to the left, on a pole almost against the wall of Marocco Sport, which in truth should be moved back a few meters before the hedges and the sidewalk. On the other side of the square, on the right, on the corner, the narrow, and how could it not be in a historic center, Via Francesca Manzoni, the oldest connection to Cremeno, one-way uphill, following it for a hundred meters you come across the entrance to the parish church of Sant'Alessandro through a staircase.
For entertainment and performance events held in the square, generally in the summer, preferably on Saturdays or Sundays, the square is closed to traffic for their duration, a few hours. Often, only part of Garibaldi Square is cordoned off, leaving free circulation between Via Alessandro Manzoni and Via Ippolito Manzoni and between Via Rena and Via Francesca Manzoni, a double ring road of the square. On Saturdays and Sundays in July and every day in August, from 10:30 to 12:30 and from 16:30 to 19:00, the part of Via Roma that leads to the square named after the leading figure of the Italian Risorgimento becomes pedestrian only, so incoming traffic is limited to Via Alessandro Manzoni and Via Rena.
Parking spaces
In the very central square of Barzio there are eight parking spaces, two of which are for disabled people, and four for motorcycles, zero for loading and unloading goods in a square with about ten commercial activities. Car parking is paid during peak tourist periods, marked by blue lines, while motorcycle parking is free, marked by white lines, recently established only to prevent illegal parking of cars. The patch is worse than the hole because with motorcycles, the number of vehicles circulating in the square increases; furthermore, if a ban is not respected, neither will a new one be.
In front of Bar Principe there are three blue striped parking stalls, with comb parking in front of the raised balcony with wooden planks of the public place, and the only sign in G. Garibaldi Square with the parking rules, hours, days, but not the price. Paid parking 08.00-20.00 max 3 hours. Paid parking on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays always (always is underlined) from 8.00 to 20.00. Every day from 1 July to 31 August, from 25 December to 6 January. Under three payment methods: easypark, Telepass, mooney go.[^] If one does not have a cell phone with one of the applications, one can make do by asking around where there is a parking meter that dispenses the toll ticket, which does not exist in the square. In front, two white-painted parking stalls, with a sign prohibiting parking and parking for motorcycles only, above another prohibiting parking 0-24 in the whole square, which are not respected and are not enforced.[^]
Along the two- and three-story houses of Piazza Garibaldi from 18 to 13, the prominent extended parking area, three paid spaces and two for disabled people, also perpendicular to the sidewalk. The five-car parking lot is bordered by two green areas fenced by a metal structure about forty centimetres high; in the one bordering Via Roma a fir tree, worked so that it does not exceed a few meters in height and with drooping branches, cypresses and ivy on the ground, in the one upstream cypresses of various sizes.
In Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi there are three no parking 0-24 signs across the entire square, which are ignored because at all hours there is wild parking in all the places that allow you not to block traffic, while pedestrians will move and walk alongside. In no parking, smart and crafty people park along the war memorial in front of Sorgente Sport and Marocco Sport, for short or longer periods, and for as many vehicles as can fit, according to need, such as entering shops, and as many as their conscience allows (but more than three is just not possible). Two more are in front of Piazza Garibaldi 5 and Piazza Garibaldi 6, whose roadside shops are currently not open. They are useful for buying bread or running errands at the Post Office in Via Alessandro Manzoni, or getting a coffee at Bar Sport. But why not park one or even two cars right at the beginning of the square from Via Roma and steal the parking space from two motorbikes where the Chalet is for an ice cream? The same uncivilized behavior can be done at the bend in Via Francesca Manzoni, to get the newspaper or buy food at Alimentare Milano. In front of the Tourist Office they only park if it is closed. The space where the war memorial ends upstream is preferred by vans (if it hasn't already been taken by cars) because it is the maximum width of the roadway, even by riding on two wheels on the raised part like cars.
Pedestrian
People go to the central square for various reasons, to buy food, sports items and equipment, a newspaper, or to sit at the outdoor tables in one of the three bars, to eat at the restaurant da Mirò, to get a haircut, to have an ice cream cone at the ice cream shop, to spend time and relax on the benches or finally to admire the small but significant war memorial with a symbolic lion standing more than two metres high. There are five streets and you can cross the square to buy also in Via Ippolito Manzoni, Via Francesca Manzoni, Via Alessandro Manzoni, where there is the Poste Italiane Office as well, go down Via Roma with other shops, while it is less usual to go up the steep Via Rena. Generally, the holidaymaker or the barziese goes to the square on foot and returns home by the shortest road, while the tourist leaves the car in one of the two parking lots between Via Roma and the provincial road, P2 (Market Square) and free parking next to the playground and the bike track. The experience of walking in the square dedicated to the hero of the two worlds, one of Garibaldi's nicknames, is negative, despite the good cleanliness and the ground in good condition, porphyry cubes, large tiles, almost no steps. This solution meets the mobility needs of the elderly people who populate the town in the summer, away from the oppressive heat of the city and the plain, some of whom use a walker.
Giuseppe Garibaldi Square is small, frequented by many people, in July and August, many Saturdays and Sundays of the year, the pavements at ground level where they exist are narrow. The extension is reduced by two parking lots for a total of eight parking spaces, in the middle there are too many cars circulating that cross the square in two directions, many park in no-parking zones, a bad habit that has lasted for years without a concrete reaction from the various municipal administrations that have followed. Around the monument to the fallen, the area is pedestrian. In short, they want to fit in too many things and of opposite nature between them. The upstream side of the square has no pavement and the passage is impeded by the dehors of Bar Sport, by the parking in front of Bar Principe, by the outdoor tables of Locanda di Mirò.
Imagining that you are already inside the Piazza Garibaldi, at number 1, that is, in front of the Châlet bar restaurant and the war memorial, you reach Via Alessandro Manzoni, where the Town Hall is located in Palazzo Manzoni, crossing the pedestrian crossing of Via Ippolito Manzoni and following the pavement on the ground of the small pedestrian area in front of Marocco Sport. The pedestrian crossings are nothing more than gray porphyry cubes, which distinguishes them from the brown ones on the street. To go to the opposite side of the square with the older houses in a southerly direction, keeping the Chalet as a fixed starting point, thus turning counterclockwise, suddenly jumping from the first to the last number of the square, from 1 to 18, you cross Via Roma on the pedestrian crossing, where even someone casually parks a car. The shops from 17 to 14, ice cream shop, hairdresser, Alimentare Milano, attract the people of Barzio, next to it there is space for benches and two tables to eat; it would be a space to avoid for walking, if it were not the only regular one for Via Francesca Manzoni and Via Rena. At the end of the row of shops, pedestrian crossings for Bar Principe and La Locanda di Mirò. Going around the Buzzoni or ex Buzzoni houses, not before avoiding those who park at the head of the sequence of shops or on the corner, here we are in Via Francesca Manzoni, the stationery shop is in front without a pedestrian crossing to cross the street. In the end, what does the pedestrian do to cross the square? Walk in the middle of the street, preferably where the pedestrian area ends up upstream the war memorial. Parents and grandparents warn children saying Watch out for cars!
Naturally, the square where the people of Barzio and the surrounding towns converge, residents and vacationers, and tourists, is the perfect place to hold events of various kinds for hundreds of people, theatrical and entertainment shows, music with concerts, or others that directly involve those who participate, such as children's games. The square is beautiful, almost flat, on a small valley in the mountain, which rises after a larger semi-flat space. Until last year, for these activities there was an alternative but not the same place, the tensile structure near the free parking, a covered tent capable of hosting up to 500 people, films were also shown. After almost twenty years it was dismantled to make room for a multipurpose brick structure under construction, we'll see.
Barzio is a mountain village of about 1300 inhabitants surrounded by splendid mountains, and therefore there can be no lack of events linked to its environment and pre-Alpine culture, including small gatherings and parades of Alpine troops for some anniversaries or visits.[^] Of an institutional and political nature is the ceremony for the villagers who died in battle, which is held every 4th November at the war memorial. The other events are purely entertainment on warm summer evenings, and what's better than music. The one who plays is the village band, while musical bands are diverted elsewhere. The Santa Cecilia Musical Corps of Barzio[^] has the honor of the Ferragosto Concert, on the evening of 14th August, which plays in front of the Bar Principe, the hundreds of seats arranged in the square are not enough for all those present. Other bands have performed in the square, including the Carabinieri band.[^]
Events in Barzio and in the square are increasingly rare. Saltimbarzio has remained, clowns and actors animate the main streets of the town on the first Saturday of September with a series of shows,[^] effectively closing the summer season. Since the tourist town of Valsassina is a holiday destination for families with small children, the municipality organizes parties in the square with wooden games and traditional games, which intrigue and entertain young and old. Charitable activities are occasionally held around the war memorial with a stall of associations and organizations.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian general, leader, revolutionary, republican, patriot, writer, sailor, politician, one of the most celebrated historical figures of the nineteenth century and recognized as one of the founding fathers of Italy. Giuseppe Maria, that's how he was baptized, was born in Nice on July 4, 1807 to Ligurian parents, a city belonging to the Kingdom of Sardinia but under French occupation, and died in Caprera on June 2, 1882.[^] To tell his tumultuous and passionate life, an entire book would not be enough.
Man of action, he preferred to sail the sea on merchant ships to his studies and take part in civil wars in the territory, in defense of populations governed by a foreigner or oppressor. Sentenced to death in 1834 for an insurrection in Piedmont, Garibaldi fled into exile in South America at the end of the following year, where he remained for 14 years, leading numerous battles; for this reason he is nicknamed the hero of the two worlds. In Brazil, Garibaldi met Anita, his first wife, who gave him three children; in Uruguay, he chose the red shirt or jacket as a uniform for himself and his volunteers, which will remain the distinctive sign of Garibaldi's followers. As soon as he returned to Italy, he took part in the first war of independence and the war of the Roman Republic, where Anita died while fleeing. In 1859, with his small army, the Hunters of the Alps (i Cacciatori delle Alpi), he liberated many cities in Lombardy in the second war of independence. The feat that gave him timeless fame was the Expedition of the Thousand, the crucial episode of the Risorgimento, the military feat that culminated in the unification of Italy. Garibaldi left with a thousand volunteers from Quarto on the night between 5 and 6 May 1860 in the Kingdom of Sardinia to land in Marsala on 11 May in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. After a campaign lasting a few months, also thanks to the insurrections of the local populations, the Bourbon army was defeated. The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed on 17 March 1861. A convinced anticlerical, at the same time he defined himself as religious and Christian, he led a new expedition to annex Rome, which was part of the Papal States, to Italy, probably the greatest dream of the leader. The Pope was also defended by the French. Garibaldi was stopped on 29 August 1862 on the Aspromonte by the Royal army and wounded in the leg. Then more battles, the third war of independence and in France.
Between 1867 and 1873 he had three children with his second wife Francesca Armosino, 41 years younger than him, whom he married in 1880. From 1873 he needed crutches to walk due to deforming arthritis, a disease that prevented him from walking completely from 1880, forcing him to use a wheelchair. He died two years later at almost 75 years of age due to the worsening of the bronchitis he had suffered from for years.
The fame of the Ligurian leader is demonstrated by how many Italian cities have at least one statue or monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi. It is impossible to count the number of plaques scattered on private homes and public buildings that commemorate his visit or stay as a historical event. Garibaldi was in Lecco four times, 6-7 and 26-27 June 1859, 26-27 May 1862 and 13 June 1866.[^][^]
Piazza Comunale
The square which is the center where the life of Barzio converges, streets and activities, had less importance in the past. As today it was a crossroads, but of a reduced number of streets, and without a church or an oratory, under the square there were only meadows probably separated by a low wall, the smallest surface, less than half, without a monument to the fallen, crossed by a watercourse to be crossed with a small bridge.
The square was already referred to as the piazza comunale in ancient times. Ultimately, piazza comunale for centuries was a widening of three streets with few houses and not even the most prominent ones in the town, which were instead found in the side streets. The Buzzoni and Arrigoni houses were along the Fiumetta stream, which separated them from the rest of the square. At most, local public administration meetings were held in the square before it became under institutional management.[^] To its advantage, the churchyard of the parish church which was above the square facilitated the passage of people. Ancient documents of the square are essentially reports of road works.
It is worth knowing that the town of Barzio, or Barsio in its older meaning, developed linearly along the roads to Cremeno, Lecco, Introbio, Valtorta. Piazza Comunale connected these roads for a length of 33 meters, with a gravel surface, and with a certain depth downstream, 14 meters. In the language up until the nineteenth century, contrada indicated an urban road, so the square intersected:
- Contrada Lunga, the road to Cremeno, the first stretch of which is today's Via Francesca Manzoni, connected to the square by a small bridge over the Fiumetta.
- Contrada della Piazza, the square and the beginning of the roads to Lecco (for La Folla) and to Introbio, which are today's Via Alessandro Manzoni and Via Tranquillo Baruffaldi. In the main district of the town was the Manzoni family home, today Palazzo Manzoni and the town hall, and the church of San Giovanni Battista, now deconsecrated and private property.
- Contrada la Rena, the steep climb to the chapel or ossuary and to the churchyard of the Church of Sant'Alessandro and Contrada del Ponte, the road to Valtorta. The name has not changed, Via Rena.
After the unification of Italy, in 1869, a transformation of the town's road system caused a significant transformation of the town square. The town council approved the works for the removal of the bottleneck of the old Rastello ramp (now Via Giuseppe Mazzini) choosing the route of the current Via Dante. At the same time, to facilitate communication within the town, it established that the square be joined to Contrada Tonisella. Contrada Tonisella is the current Via Ippolito Manzoni, from Via Sacchi and Via Arrigoni to Via Giuseppe Mazzini. The town purchased the areas necessary to build a 6.30 meter wide paved road and a retaining wall, the first connection towards the valley of the square.[^]
Finally, a curiosity. In some reports by nineteenth-century building experts (Paolo Scandella, Bartolomeo Combi) the uppermost corner of the square, where the Tourist Office now stands, is called Battadore, or Battadur in dialect, interpreted as the place of the batter in a ball game. It was said that the villagers on feast days entertained themselves by throwing a rubber ball with the palm of their hand. The ball was bounced at a height of one meter and hit towards the opponents on the other side of the square who tried to respond, with rules and scoring, according to the youthful memories of Renzo Buzzoni,[^] the local poet known for the verses beginning Ruggi non tame and echoes the Pioverna of the lion of the war memorial. According to a journalistic scoop by Valsassina News in July 2022, the rudimentary game on the lawn where the office now stands was baseball![^]
A brief history of Piazza Garibaldi until the twentieth century
Even if there is no trace of decisions in the field of street names, through the comparison between the lists, it can be said that the name of a large number of streets in Barzio was assigned between 1881 and 1886. The Risorgimento had ended a few years before, and so many streets in Barzio were dedicated to people and places from that historical period. Naturally, the main crossroads of the town had to be for the most prominent figure of the Risorgimento, who had also died very recently (1882). Approximately, the town square of Barzio became Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1885 or 1886; the first document attesting to this is from 1886.
At the end of the nineteenth century, photography had already been around for a few years and aroused great interest, becoming popular over time also due to the progressive decrease in economic costs, some publishers published postcards that were sent. For a historian the change was epochal, documents were no longer just written reports, but images to be seen. The description of the development of the square could be more precise, also helped by their sharing and availability on a computer network. An archive that collects old postcards of Barzio and the bordering towns that can be consulted is that of Ganassa Giuseppe,[^] who also dabbles in photography with more recent images, since 1967 the Ganassa family has run an electronics, TV, telephone shop in Via Francesca Manzoni 14.
The photos and postcards from the early twentieth century convey to us the charm of a bygone era, not so distant but different. Piazza Garibaldi is unpaved. Upstream, a wash house enclosed by a wall is located at the corner of the climb to the churchyard of the parish church that overlooked the square, built around the time the square was named,[^] further to the right is a small garden, above a chapel called the ossuary and the church, with the churchyard, the building and the bell tower. The buildings upstream border Via Alessandro Manzoni, two floors and one floor higher the one next to the street dedicated to the great Lombard writer, preceded by a small fountain with a roof. To the north, a road descends to Via Ippolito Manzoni along the house on the corner of Via Alessandro Manzoni 1, the only one on this side, in which five steps lead to the entrance of Trattoria Stella. In front of the restaurant, a low wall of about fifty centimetres closes the square towards the valley, in the middle there is a little empty space.[^] On the other side of the square (south), three two-storey houses and a moat where the Fiumetta flows.
Ten years later the stable that goes down to Via Ippolito Manzoni is already a three-story building that completes the one on the corner of Via Alessandro Manzoni, which houses the Albergo Stella, a significant sign that the tourist development of the town already took place at the beginning of the 1900s.
The following decade, the third of the twentieth century, radically changed the face of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi. After the First World War, even in Barzio local politics welcomed the request to build a war memorial. The war memorials of this period were born as a mediation towards the population tried by mourning and suffering rather than celebrating a war victory. There was a serious problem, there was no space to accommodate it in the square. It was found thanks to the generous concession of Domenica Dionigi, widow of Ippolito Manzoni, who enjoyed the usufruct of a large area adjacent to the town square. The bare ownership by will of the Manzoni spouses belonged to the Diocese of Milan, which by the hand of the Vicar General Monsignor Ambrogio Portaluppi agreed to the transfer of the area. Thus, on 26 August 1923, the day of the patron saint Alessandro, the war memorial of Barzio was inaugurated. In the middle of the square, on a high podium, a bronze lion is in the act of defending the flag, a work by Michele Vedani. The lion is in a position parallel to the square with its head turned towards Via Ippolito Manzoni. The monument to the fallen is completed by two bronze panels by the same author. In the first, a soldier leaving for war kisses his wife, with his daughter clinging to the young woman's dress; in the second, a soldier raises the tricolor as a sign of victory.
Shortly after, at the beginning of fascism, a staircase and a white balcony appear on the first of the old houses to the south. Upstream, a two-story house is next to the existing ones, closer to the washhouse, where shortly after the Caffè Confetteria Garibaldi opens.[^]
The second important transformation of Giuseppe Garibaldi Square was in 1930. The connection to Cremeno, which crossed the square from the narrow Via Francesca Manzoni, had been insufficient for years, worsened by the increase in vehicles and by the construction of the new Ponte della Vittoria over the Torrente Pioverna Orientale in May 1925. A new artery was designed downstream from the town that reached the square with an 8% ramp called Via Roma.[^]
Even in the fourth decade of the twentieth century Piazza Garibaldi underwent profound changes. In 1931, only one year after the opening of Via Roma, a building in an unmistakable architectural style was built in the meadow downstream, with an entrance from the square, which today everyone knows as Chalet. The new public bar-type place becomes a point of reference for locals and tourists in the square, with the name Caffè Belvedere.
In 1932, the Church of Sant'Alessandro above underwent major transformation and expansion works. The axis of the nave was reversed, the entrance to the church was from a staircase in Via Francesca Manzoni, less than a hundred meters from the square. Where the churchyard was, visible from the square, the transept is built, higher than the old building, and the presbytery.
At the end of the 30s, the Albergo Ristorante Stella was decorated and given a beautiful panoramic balcony; a balcony is on the second floor in the Arrigoni house on the opposite side. Traffic increases, and the podestà orders that the direction of traffic in Via Francesca Manzoni be one-way, toward the square. In place of the washhouse that lasted about fifty years, a new building on the corner of Via Rena, and a single-story building that closes the space above the square with the name of the patriot who unified Italy with the Expedition of the Thousand, where Albergo Principe is written.
In the first post-war period, the balcony of the Fascio disappeared in the first Buzzoni house. The Albergo Principe was expanded with a three-story building where it had only a ground floor, which also became a restaurant. The Fiumetta, the stream that from the slopes of Mount Orscellera flows right in front of the Buzzoni and Arrigoni houses, was covered over. In 1951, in the house furthest upstream of these, the Alimentare Milano store opened; upstream in the middle, in a building that has a balcony on the second floor, Bar Sport with outdoor tables.
In the middle of the square, still without cars, lie the remains of the war memorial without its lion, the bronze statue of Vedani requisitioned during the war. In 1952, a new war memorial of Barzio is inaugurated on the remains of the previous one, the lion returns to the square, rotated half a turn, the work of Giuseppe Mozzanica. At the end of the 50s, the writing Châlet is above the building downstream on the corner of Via Roma, the name of the business remains Caffè Pasticceria Belvedere.
Black and white or hand-colored postcards from the late 1950s and early 1960s tell us that Piazza Garibaldi has become an open-air parking lot, for motorization and mass tourism involving the town and the valley. Fiat 500, Fiat 600, Fiat 1100, Fiat 1300, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Fiat Bianchina, Lancia Flavia are parked around the war memorial, Chalet, Albergo Stella, Albergo Principe, houses to the south. Cars drive up Via Roma, turn left into the square to take Via Alessandro Manzoni towards the new cable car to Piani di Bobbio. Traffic will then be regulated with a traffic light! A few years later, a new road for the Barzio - Piani di Bobbio cable car, Via Todeschini, will ease traffic in the square.
Upstream, on the corner of Via Alessandro Manzoni, first a shop was set up, then the house was raised by a floor and the circular yellow sign PT Posta Telegrafo stands out because there is a post office. Next to it, a stationery and perfumery. In 1967, the Arrigoni Marocco family entered the chalet and until today they manage the bar restaurant.
In the 70s, the evolution of the square heart of Barzio continues. The middle house to the south is raised by one floor, on the corner of Via Francesca Manzoni there is a yellow telephone booth, under the church on the corner of Via Rena and Via Francesca Manzoni there is a municipal building, with the tourist office of the town, and a newspaper kiosk. Shop windows open next to the Alimentare Milano, including a haberdashery. In 1972, the last of the buildings in chronological order of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, set back towards Via Ippolito Manzoni, in the direction of the square is on the ground floor, where is located a sporting goods and household goods shop, Sorgente Sport.
In the 80s postcard publishers disappear and digital photography has not yet evolved, for about twenty years the photos are those developed on paper by amateurs, whether they are villagers, vacationers and tourists, kept in the drawer. So we can only imagine that the Stella Hotel ceases its activity and Marocco Sport takes over the two lower floors.
In the last decade, the Nineties, of this little story of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, the last redevelopment, because the photos from 2000 onwards do not show significant changes. It should be noted that in 1992 the province of Lecco was created, Barzio from the province of Como passed under the new institution. The area in front of the Chalet and around the war memorial becomes pedestrian, with benches where vacationers can rest, even in front of Marocco Sport a small area is protected from cars. The sidewalk in front of the shops of the houses where the Fiumetta flows below and that look at the lion's head is wider, and next to it there are two green areas with a tree. Via Alessandro Manzoni becomes one-way in the direction of the square.
Pedestrianize Piazza Garibaldi and the historic center of Barzio 365 days a year 24 hours a day
Even in 2024 I spent the whole summer in Barzio, I owe it to the stubbornness of my mother who does not give up the village of Valsassina because she says it's so good here and the new apartment for rent is just how she wants it. No less stubborn and determined than her, two months of intense work for at least three hours a day and in the evening served to erase Piazza Garibaldi, the first article of Barzio, then renamed Around Barzio, of Sunday 14 June 2015, with a completely new one, which is the same perseverance that pushes me to climb on foot to Piani di Bobbio. I started in the heat of August, and as I advanced, paradoxically, the goal moved further away because as I described the square, the topics to be addressed grew.
As does the tourist who enters the square, I stopped in front of the lion and the war memorial, to walk around the square clockwise, describing buildings and public places. Then, I looked at the cars, imagined the days of celebration with shows. After having told the present of Barzio, a break for the adventurous life of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Finally, its evolution, the ancient Piazza Comunale, from the dedication to Giuseppe Garibaldi to the profound changes of the last century, which could not fail to benefit from the contribution of the history book of the country by Federico Oriani and for the twentieth century the fun vision of postcards and photos.
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi is increasingly the center of gravity of Barzio, where there are a few historic commercial activities, including those of the streets that cross the square, Via Roma, Via Ippolito Manzoni, Via Alessandro Manzoni, Via Francesca Manzoni. In the middle, the lion of the war memorial dominates, the bronze statue symbolizing the strength and courage of the soldiers who defended their homeland, and tourist attraction with mandatory photo, which almost obscures the three plaques with the names of the fallen. In 1923, for the first war memorial, the crossroads of three streets with the church of Sant'Alessandro at the top, this was Piazza Comunale, the square was enlarged; the current one is from 1952, on the remains of the previous one, in the period in which the Fiumetta was buried. Piazza Garibaldi remains small, measuring 42 x 31 meters, almost flat, approximately circular in shape, in porphyry and pebbles, a splendid balcony overlooking the Grigne, protected by Mount Orscellera.
By definition, a square is an open area, more or less spacious, in urban planning, public square[^] or town square[^] is public and wider than the streets that converge on it. On all four sides, buildings and premises, once a trattoria, hotels and restaurants, then also the post office, now bars, cafes, ice cream parlors, again restaurants, food shops, sporting goods and household goods shops, a hairdresser. The intersection becomes a five-way street and upstream cars can cross the square named after the leader and patriot who lived in the nineteenth century in two directions. To protect against vehicles, the area around the war memorial was made pedestrian, the sidewalk along the old side houses was widened, and small benches, benches and tables were added, fenced green areas, bushes, red maples, cypresses, a fir tree, and parking deterrents, long chains, granite pillars, and flower boxes, which embellish it. There are numerous road signs, give way, no entry, directional arrows, no parking in the entire square 0-24, video-surveillance area. There is no shortage of parking, eight parking spaces, four for motorcycles, which are not enough for everyone. In the small space left, in no-parking zones cars, motorcycles and vans park at all hours of the day and night, as in Via Ippolito Manzoni and Via Francesca Manzoni in front of the steps of the parish church, thanks to the absence of the local police, who do not enforce the highway code even when they are present. Now the free and more or less spacious area is finally all occupied! Parking is either hit-and-run or for longer periods, even more visible when there is no tourism and the square is empty. In the center of Barzio sidewalks are rare, so pedestrians walk dangerously arm in arm with cars or cross them in the opposite direction even on slopes like in Via Ippolito Manzoni, breathing in exhaust fumes, which is the worst way to welcome tourists or the best way to never let them come back to enjoy the air and the pleasant summer climate of the mountains at 769 meters above sea level. The people are inhabitants and vacationers of the town, of those nearby and of Valsassina, also attracted by the Friday market, tourists from Milan, Brianza, Lecco, some Lombards from other provinces, rare Italians from other regions and foreigners. There is tourism in July, August, ten days at Christmas, some weekends.
The coexistence of pedestrians and vehicles is impossible in the centers of Italian cities and towns, narrow streets that converge in squares that arose centuries ago. For some time now, almost all municipal administrations have adapted the historic centers to the times through traffic restrictions and pedestrianization,[^][^] generally permanent, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Mayors have had the courage not to fear unpopularity, to change and overcome the prejudice of a minority that does not see or defends personal interests. Citizens have returned to frequent and experience the squares and streets of a unique asset. The benefits are many: for health, the environment, road safety,[^] the economy and tourism, with urban regeneration new shops open and the value of houses increases.[^] What does Barzio do? It closes Via Roma to traffic on Saturdays and Sundays in July and every day in August, from 10:30 to 12:30 and from 16:30 to 19:00. It is sad that in the most famous location of Valsassina the mentality of going to the square by car still survives and how in the most beautiful flower of Barzio due to illegal parking bad habits and arrogance win.
References
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- Mauro Vezzoli (24 August 2024). "The stationery and newspaper and toy shop on Via Francesco Manzoni 1, corner of Piazza Garibaldi, on a crowded Saturday morning in August.". In Estate and Piazza Garibaldi. [Google Photos photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (16 July 2014). "ANA Barzio notice board in Piazza Garibaldi, with the poster of the traditional annual celebration at the votive chapel of 'Gesol' on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the construction of the Bivacco which will be held on Sunday 20 July 2014.". In Estate and Piazza Garibaldi. [Google Photos photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "A.N.A - Gruppo di Barzio". web.tiscali.it/anabarzio. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "lalimentaremilano". [Instagram page]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "L'alimentare Milano". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Dolci". In Alimentare Milano - Prodotti tipici della Valsassina [Alimentare Milano - Typical products of Valsassina]. cabiadini.com. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (26 June 2015). "Detail of the Alimentare Milano in Piazza Garibaldi 14. Characteristic green awning Panini - Piazza - Focaccia and old advertising billboard on a white background placed on the balcony two floors above, Alimentari Pane ... Rosticceria, the drawing of a chef and Tel. 996208, still without the telephone prefix for Valsassina, 0341.". In In giro per Barzio and Piazza Garibaldi. [Flickr photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "tagliedettagli_barzio". [Instagram page]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Gelateria mister pepi . [Facebook page]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "gelateriamisterpepi". [Instagram page]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (29 August 2024). "Very well-kept flowerbed of small green shrubs in front of Marocco Sport and brown cobblestone sidewalk for Via Alessandro Manzoni.". In Estate, In Giro per Barzio and Piazza Garibaldi. [Google Photos photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (29 August 2024). "Parking for three cars in front of the Bar Principe at sunset on a summer afternoon and the only sign for use. Paid parking 08.00-20.00 max 3 hours. Paid parking Saturday, Sunday and holidays always (underlined) from 8.00 to 20.00. Every day from July 1 to August 31, from December 25 to January 6. Under three payment methods, easypark, Telepass, mooney go. There is no device in the square that dispenses the toll ticket.". In Estate, In Giro per Barzio and Piazza Garibaldi. [Google Photos photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (30 August 2024). "It was not enough to paint the space on the street above the shops on the right of Piazza Garibaldi white, because a car parks in front of not one no-parking sign but two.". In Estate, In Giro per Barzio e Piazza Garibaldi. [Google Photos photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (8 July 2023). "Flag-raising ceremony at the war memorial in Barzio to salute the week of exercises in Valsassina of the 2nd Alpine Regiment of the Taurinense Alpine Brigade.In Piazza Garibaldi, the Mameli Anthem or Song of the Italians resounds, played by the Santa Cecilia Band and sung by those present. As in 2016 in Cornisella, for the significant gesture I shot one of the very few videos.". [YouTube video]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Corpo Musicale S. Cecilia di Barzio". bandabarzio.it. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (30 August 2014). "Piazza Garibaldi is the beating heart of Barzio, where significant events are also held. In front of the Bar Principe, the largest remaining space in the square, the Carabinieri band plays on Saturday 30 August 2014.". In Estate and Piazza Garibaldi. [Google Photos photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mauro Vezzoli (7 September 2024). "Saltimbarzio anche anche quest'anno chiude l'estate del paese con animazione per le strade, alle 19.00 l'ultimo spettacolo. Prestigiatore tiene un bicchiere sul sigaro davanti a tanti bambini seduti in Piazza Garibaldi.". In Estate and Piazza Garibaldi. [Google Photos photo]. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Giuseppe Garibaldi". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Oriani, Federico (July 2015). "Le strade di Barzio, trasformazioni e denominazioni tra Sette e Novecento [The streets of Barzio, transformations and denominations between Eighteenth and Twentieth Century]" [PDF File]. Doc Player. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Oriani, Federico (July 2015). "Garibaldi Giuseppe (1807 - 1882)". In 7 – Dagli antroponimi agli odonimi [7 - From anthroponyms to odonyms]. Le strade di Barzio, trasformazioni e denominazioni tra Sette e Novecento [The streets of Barzio, transformations and denominations between Eighteenth and Twentieth Century] [PDF File]. Comune di Barzio. p. 197. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Oriani, Federico (July 2015). "Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi". In 2 – Viabilità urbana barziese [2 - Urban roads of Barzio]. Le strade di Barzio, trasformazioni e denominazioni tra Sette e Novecento [The streets of Barzio, transformations and denominations between Eighteenth and Twentieth Century] [PDF File]. Comune di Barzio. p. 35. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Oriani, Federico (July 2015). "Via Ippolito Manzoni". In 2 – Viabilità urbana barziese [2 - Urban roads of Barzio]. Le strade di Barzio, trasformazioni e denominazioni tra Sette e Novecento [The streets of Barzio, transformations and denominations between Eighteenth and Twentieth Century] [PDF File]. Comune di Barzio. pp. 46-48. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Oriani, Federico (July 2015). "Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi". In 2 – Viabilità urbana barziese. Le strade di Barzio, trasformazioni e denominazioni tra Sette e Novecento [The streets of Barzio, transformations and denominations between Eighteenth and Twentieth Century] [PDF File]. Comune di Barzio. pp. 37-38. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Canepari, Cesare (12 July 2022). "Barzio: dal baseball di ieri agli ostacoli di oggi. Piazza Garibaldi in 100 anni di fotografie [Barzio: From Yesterday's Baseball to Today's Hurdles. Piazza Garibaldi in 100 Years of Photographs]". Valsassina News. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Vecchia Barzio [Old Barzio]". In cartoline Barzio [postcard Barzio]. Giuseppe Ganassa di Ganassa Marco. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Oriani, Federico (July 2015). "Via Rena". In 2 – Viabilità urbana barziese [2 - Urban roads of Barzio]. Le strade di Barzio, trasformazioni e denominazioni tra Sette e Novecento [The streets of Barzio, transformations and denominations between Eighteenth and Twentieth Century] [PDF File]. Comune di Barzio. p. 64. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "1904 – Barzio (Valsassina) – Piazza Garibaldi – viaggiata (formato piccolo) [1904 – Barzio (Valsassina) – Piazza Garibaldi – travelled (small format)]". In Cartoline [Postcards]. www.luigimosconi.it. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Il Caffè Confetteria Garibaldi a Barzio negli anni 30 [The Caffè Confetteria Garibaldi in Barzio in the 30s]". In La Valsassina nelle fotografie e nelle stampe d'epoca [Valsassina in vintage photographs and prints]. [facebook post]. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- Oriani, Federico (July 2015). "Progetto Buzzoni 1929". In 4 – Via Roma – via Martiri Patrioti Barziesi - via Bergamini. Le strade di Barzio, trasformazioni e denominazioni tra Sette e Novecento [The streets of Barzio, transformations and denominations between Eighteenth and Twentieth Century] [PDF File]. Comune di Barzio. pp. 146-151. (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Public square". Vocabulary.com. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Town square". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "pedestrianize". Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Pedestrianize". Vocabulary.com. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- (15 June 2022). "Does the street pedestrianisation show an economic impact?". Mobility friendly. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Investing in pedestrian areas multiplies local income". BBVA. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
