Piazza della Liberta is also emptied of two of the three shops under the arcades

History repeats itself. Less than a month ago we mentioned the closure of four stores in the central Via Sant'Orsola, and of as many at risk, collecting the cry of alarm from traders forced to throw in the towel due to a substantial drop in their due business, they say , not only to the crisis experienced by the sector but also to the lower attractiveness of the lower Bergamo center.

The phenomenon is spreading like wildfire and has reached another area traditionally linked to quality shopping: the area between piazza della Liberta, via Petrarca and via Locatelli. By the end of the year they will close two of the three shops that are located under the arcades of the "Toro Assicurazioni" building, built in 1948 to a design by Luigi and Sandro Angelini. Elegant historic building in the heart of Bergamo, which over the years has hosted important commercial establishments, now on the verge of closing its doors. On the windows there were written announcements announcing promotional sales, sales and discounts. Warning signs of a new black hole in the heart of the lower city. Let's try to imagine those arcades in the dark, without the lights of the shops.

«I have been here for 32 years – tells Leila Bali, of the jewelery shop of the same name – and in January I will leave reluctantly. I'm not leaving because I miss the job, or because the rent has grown. The reason is another: in via Petrarca there is no passage, after a certain time it is dark and little frequented. This is no longer a shopping area. Also because of that black hole that became Belotti after the closure of the Teatro Nuovo. I move to Via XX Settembre, I hope things will go differently there ". The «Polarislife» showroom sells everything and closes even before Christmas: furniture, kitchens and furnishing accessories covering an area of ​​250 square meters, with shop windows facing three sides of the building. "We are very sorry to leave – admits Raffaella Ravasio -, we have been here for five years but unfortunately the work does not go as we would like. We can't even complain about the rentals, the owner is an exquisite gentleman, very attentive to his tenants. The problem is another: the area is not very popular, except for bars and clubs. The passage has greatly diminished. I also believe that Piazza della Liberta does not offer quality proposals. Soccer, skating and stalls are not enough, it would take higher level initiatives to give new impetus to the city center ".

Few shop windows further on «Petronio» – a clothing store known to the Bergamo people, which this year has reached 65 years of activity – has started a promotional sale. "Surely commerce is not having a good time – acknowledges Dario Salvi, one of the owners – The last few months have been difficult. And it must be said that this area is going out. The streets are less crowded than they used to be and the conditions in which the New Theater has been located for years are certainly not helpful. " The owners of «Petronio» do not speak of imminent closure, as in the case of their neighbors. However, they suggest that assessments of the future of the business are underway. One thing is certain: the commercial center of the city is shrinking and impoverishing. The departure of such a high number of quality shops in the streets of Petrarca and Sant’Orsola in just a few months is there to prove it.

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