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www.menarola.com. Who are we and what do we want

This site aims at being a little bit different from those many existing sites that are dedicated to the life, history and tourist facilities of the Valchiavenna and Valtellina and to the Province of Sondrio in general. It aims, instead, at providing an open space for discussions, and for the ideas and projects that each of us, whether “Menarolesi” by birth or by choice, put forward as regards the future of “our little world” : moreover, we hope that these open discussions might also be of some use and inspiration for our neighbours, who often find themselves in circumstances similar to ours and who are thus warmly invited to take part in the debate.

It is likely that the memories, visions and ideas that are presented on this site  will often appear to be mixed-up and confused, and sometimes not only diverging but even contradictory. This is inevitable in the light of the range of problems and of the rate of change in the world that surrounds us. We hope, however, that some worthwhile new ideas will emerge from the apparent disorder.

It will certainly be difficult, for example, to find the right balance between respect for valuable tradition and narrow localism, or between intelligent innovation and a process of “change for the sake of change” that is incapable of linking up either with current realities or with the past. It will, however, be necessary to have an open debate on these choices and to try to reach points of agreement on them. The tiny community of Menarola is now part of the somewhat larger Valchiavenna commune of Gordona. It is thus more important than ever that our community takes part in decisions on its own future by developing  a creative and credible dialogue with the local authorities, whose influence on what will happen to us in the future is so important and yet who are confronted with a wider range of problems and plans than those which we are facing.

We wish to declare our cards : We too have our own ideas and plans that we would like to put forward and to confront with those of others. For us it is of little importance whether these “others” are originally from Menarola or not, or indeed whether they are Valtellinesi or Italians. For us it is not very productive to go ahead for ever on the basis that someone has the “right” to pronounce on problems or to act on their own., for example those whose parents were both born in the ex-commune of Menarola but are perhaps now living in Australia. This problem will eventually have to be tackled. Those currently considered to be “outsiders” should also be involved in the life of a community which by constantly excluding such outsiders, risks suffocating itself.

From our side we will seek to involve all the “friends of Menarola” and to look for them wherever they live, often outside of our province or region or even of Italy. The primary task of defending our community will always be incumbent on those who live there, but those who love it even from afar and are willing to help out should also be able to contribute and to put forward their ideas for its future.

Our objective is to help in the growth and reorganisation of our community, to permit it to survive and to transmit to others its beauty, values and specific features, all of which might otherwise be lost with our own generation. And to achieve this objective we need everyone’s help!

Marco F. Cavallotti, Menarola
Bianca Valota, Menarola
Susan Jacobs, Dublin
Francis Jacobs, Dublin
Elena Casartelli, Milan
Luigi Vergani, Merone (Province of Como)

and all those who want to add: just enough to write to us!