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When an entire village becomes a hotel

Wonderfully nested, car-free, 1200 years of history: Apricale in Liguria is rightly one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

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When an entire village becomes a hotel

Wonderfully nested, car-free, 1200 years of history: Apricale in Liguria is rightly one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The central Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, which is framed like a picture book by the town hall, the baroque San Bartolomeo Oratory and the Castello della Lucertola, is particularly beautiful. A pretty setting that is now increasingly attracting tourists - who keep the 622-inhabitant town, which is characterized by migration, alive by staying here and leaving money in the village.

Because in Apricale there is a special accommodation: The "Munta e Cara". Without any new construction or international hotel management behind them, the company manages to keep guests in the village overnight. As the? Around Nonna Gari's breakfast room and the reception on the central piazza are ten suites and 23 rooms in different buildings in the middle of town. Very Italian, very aesthetic, very individual. This makes the "Munta e Cara" a prime example of an "Albergo Diffuso".

Literally translated, the term means "scattered hotel". In concrete terms, organization and management are in one hand, but the guest rooms offered for overnight stays are distributed throughout the village. As in Apricale, unused rooms and second homes of private individuals are used, separately accessible, but often with family connections. Holiday guests, according to the idea, live among the locals and still have hotel service.

Because like in a normal hotel, unlike in holiday apartments, the rooms are cleaned every day, beds are made and breakfast and small meals are served on request. Where else guests can eat in the village, they can find out at the reception.

The control center, which is no more than 200 to 300 meters from each room and can be reached in a few minutes on foot, is also the first address for inquiries and complaints, on arrival anyway. Newcomers receive keys, a map, tips and, if they wish, insights into the unique hotel concept that was invented in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in the late 1970s. Fueled by the need for more authenticity and sustainability and not least the corona-related weariness with mass accommodation, demand has increased noticeably, especially in recent years.

More than 80 villages throughout Italy now belong to the Associazione degli Alberghi Diffusi. This also includes the restored caves of Matera, in which one can live, as well as the trulli, stone pointed-cap villages in Puglia. No matter in which part of Italy you are, the declared goal of the association is always: Villages threatened by extinction should be brought back to life in this way.

However, in order to be accepted into the association (and to benefit from the common umbrella brand), certain criteria must be met. This includes the presence of a historical core and a village community to give vacationers something of the everyday life and lifestyle on site.

Recently, the concept has also been available outside of Italy: in 2022, the first Albergo Diffuso in Switzerland was admitted to the association, the twelve-person village of Corippo in the Verzasca Valley in the canton of Ticino. There, five of the rustici distributed in the village function as rooms with a total of 26 beds.

In Ticino, a rustico is a traditional building style. The alleys of Corippo form the hotel corridors, while the local osteria serves as a reception and meeting place with a panoramic terrace to linger - this is where Jeremy Gehring, who has already worked for star chefs, cooks. His gastronomic concept is: Southern Alpine cuisine with products from the region.

Meanwhile, Gehring's wife Désirée Voitle takes care of reception, room service and special arrangements, such as aperitif evenings at the restored mill. More offers for guests and more rooms are planned for 2023. Because the couple wants to live here long-term, with their dog and their two-year-old son Ernesto.

In the name of sustainability, this innovative hotel project preserves the historical architecture of the authentic Ticino village and at the same time generates a tourist benefit that ensures the continued existence of the place - the main goal of all Alberghi Diffusi.

The concept hits home in Switzerland – and is being expanded. Specifically, it is the mountain village of Scudellate in Ticino's Muggio Valley, in which a total of around five million euros are being invested. The "Osteria Manciana", in which there are two rooms and two suites in addition to a small restaurant, has been welcoming guests since 2021. Now it is expanded: A mountain hut and a bed

General: albergodiffuso.com

Apricale: "Munta e Cara", muntaecara.it/albergo-diffuso, double room with breakfast from 65 euros

Corippo: "Corippo Albergo diffuso", corippoalbergodiffuso.ch, double room with breakfast from around 170 euros

Scudellate: "Osteria Manciana", osteria-manciana.ch, double room with breakfast converted from 170 euros (open again from March 2nd)

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