Story: A village transformed into a hotel
Old rustic houses in the Verzasca Valley are preparing to welcome new guests.
The village of Corippo in the Verzasca Valley has come back to life thanks to the new Albergo Diffuso. Historic houses with authentic charm and a wonderfully restored tavern entice visitors to enjoy a unique holiday experience.
Jeremy Gehring and Désirée Voitle, managers of the Albergo Diffuso in Corippo
The rooms have a charm that no modern house can offer.
The older inhabitants still remember the names: Angiolina, Martino, Luigino and Siro. It’s been over 50 years since they left their houses in Corippo for different reasons. Some didn’t even have time to tidy the kitchen before leaving. But the memories of them and the others who used to fill the village with life will never be completely lost – they’re now immortalised in the Albergo Diffuso, with rooms named after the village’s former residents. The new hotel in Corippo – scattered throughout the entire village in keeping with a concept that has become established in Italy – opens its doors this year. Its aim is to inject life back into the picturesque village.
The future looks set to be bright thanks to Ernesto – the 2-year-old is Corippo’s youngest resident. “We always knew we’d live here as hoteliers,” say Ernesto’s parents Jeremy Gehring and Désirée Voitle.
It’s the “calm, nature and peace” that they say unites their lives with the small village that has had listed status since 1975.
In the newly restored building, which doubles up as the hotel reception, Jeremy takes care of feeding the guests with the concept “southern alpine cuisine made from regional products”. Désirée, a hotel manager with international experience, on the other hand, takes care of welcoming guests and room service.
The hotel comprises 6 rustic buildings with a total of 12 rooms, all in the lower part of the village, and the plan is to add more over time. From the building’s wooden balconies and terrace, the view stretches to the wild nature of the steep slopes and the roaring stream in the side valley. It’s just a few minutes walk down a narrow path to the “Costarippo”:
sparkling blue pools left by erosion of the pale rocks. "We serve aperitifs in the restored mill down there", tells Jeremy.
The mill, like the entire Albergo Diffuso, is owned by the Fondazione Corippo 1975, which was set up in 1976 with the intention of preserving the village in its historic form. In the middle of the 19th century, around 300 people lived in Corippo. By 1950, there were only 70. But the trend continued – now the village has just 13 residents, including 3 newcomers.
The houses in the village date back to the 18th century, with some even older, and hark back to a time when families made their living from livestock farming.
Small and cosy inside – we live life outdoors.
The reconstruction work was carried out with great care, using only original materials, and some of the scratches on the beams and walls have been preserved. The result is cosy rooms, where life is intended to carry on as before: outside the buildings, on balconies, around the tavern and in the alleyways. In Angiolina, Martino, Luigino and Siro’s footsteps.
“No new houses have been built in Corippo for over 100 years.”
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