A Swiss town’s population is on the brink of extinction as its 16 remaining residents creep towards their 90s.
The mountain village Corippo, located in Ticino, is fighting a battle to stay alive, after the young generation moved away in search of modern lives elsewhere, but its residents have a cunning plan.
The community has launched into action, unveiling a project to build a hotel in hopes of drawing in visitors in a bid to save the 300-year-old village and all its history.
The mountain village Corippo, located in Ticino, is fighting a battle to stay alive, after the young generation moved away in search of modern lives elsewhere, but its residents have a plan
Residents in Corippo have planned to turn its empty rooms and buildings into a ‘scattered hotel’ for tourists to visit
‘Although the village being located just 30 minutes away from the nearest city, living up in there can be hard. But visiting the village for a week or two would be a welcome respite for many people,’ said Ticino Tourism director Elia Frapolli.
Despite it lacking a shop, school or basic services typically attributed to modern life, the residents plan to turn the 60 empty stone houses into rooms suitable for tourists to stay overnight in. Many of which have not been touched since the 1950s.
The idea, according Mr Frapolli, is to transform the village into an authentic, widespread hotel.
‘The idea is to keep every house as it is, of course making them comfortable for guests, but the village is proud of its heritage and it’s important the buildings remain authentic,’ he said.
The village has just 16 residents – 15 of which are pensioners with the only one working being the town’s mayor, Claudio Scettrini.
Despite it lacking a shop, school or basic services typically attributed to modern life, the residents plan to turn the 60 empty stone houses into rooms suitable for tourists to stay overnight in. Many of which have not been touched since the 1950s
The village has just 16 residents – 15 of which are pensioners with the only one working being the town’s mayor, Claudio Scettrini
The village is just half an hour’s drive from the nearest city, Locarno, but with the narrow-access and bending road, many people opt of taking the trip
‘I hope the rest of them live into their 90s,’ he told BBC, ‘otherwise there will be no-one left here at all. It’s really quite tragic.’
The village is just half an hour’s drive from the nearest city, Locarno, but with the narrow-access and bending road, many people opt of taking the trip.
But Frappolli insists that it’s a ‘special’ village, like ‘being in another century’.
‘Time slows down, everybody knows each other in the village, and you feel the authenticity of living in a village that has existed for centuries,’ he told the BBC.
His concept of the ‘scattered hotel’ among various buildings in town has been tried in Italy, but never Switzerland.
Plans for the scattered hotel in Corippo, however, will not come into fruition for another year
The entire village, which has more than 60 traditional stone houses with dry stone roofs, is a protected as a historic monument, which means the exterior of buildings cannot be altered.
He said he plans on painting the interiors, and putting in bathrooms where needed, but the original doors and exteriors will stay the same.
Guests will live side-by-side with villagers, with the local bar acting as an informal hotel reception.
‘It’s good for the village, for the future, because most of us are old,’ says elderly resident Silvana. ‘With this project people will come here.’
Plans for the scattered hotel, however, will not come into fruition for another year.