WORKER VILLAGE

The working village,
between life and work

The working village is the best kept in Europe and it is located in Crespi d’Adda, in the municipality of Capriate San Gervasio, Bergamo. In 1995 it became part of the heritage list UNESCO. At the first glance we can easily understand why it was chosen as one of the places that has to be kept, to survive to the time in our memory.
Before to be a true working village it was an idea, for a long time. A project, sometimes a wish. Its founder, Cristoforo Benigno Crespi, was looking for a place where to built textile factory, for a high quality cotton. He knew that the area should have ahad some particular characteristics. First of all he neede the water of a river., to produce idromechanic and then idroelectrical power and to tranport cotton and the final product in different towns, Adda and Naviglio Martesana were a big help. The first one was an important friend during his whole history as entrepreneur. The secondo ne was an important communication route with the big Milan.

Then he need the man power. In those years the area of Crespi d’Adda was used as pasture and wood. Cristoforo Benigno Crespi wanted to give a new opportunity to this land, creating new possibility to work. He gave a job to people who already knew this activity, and a training to people who wanted to learn it.
A little ideal town, neasrly autharkic, because the worker could find here everything he needed, without going out from its borders.
Anyway, after some years from the foundation, in 1877, the entrepreneur understood that in order to realize a high quality wir, good raw materials and a river weren’t enoug, but he needed a manpower who worked in particular, good conditions

During the years the workers’ houses, surrounded by services and today simbol of the village, were built. A almost autarkic town, where the worker could find everything he needed, without going out. House, school, bakery, hospital, church, cemetery are at disposal of workers.

Today walking among the streets of the village of Crespi d’Adda is as to make a journey in the past. With a little bit of fantasy we can imagine how the life was one century and an half ago. Everything rana t a lower speed, a speed as fluida s Adda River, with tha changing between free time and work. -the children went to school, the teen agers and the adults went to school; when women weren’t working in the factory, washed the dresses in the two lavatories, they bought bread, and they took care of their house.

Completely open to curiosity, the workers village Crespi d’Adda offers unique emotions. Alone or with a guided tour, he will amaze people who will be asronished by its history and by the magic atmosphere of this place.