What is a “BORGO”.
The literal translation of Borgo in English would be “Village”. But the term Village does not fully explains what a “Borgo” is. A “Borgo” is a small Italian fortified town,  dating back to the Middle Ages or Renaissance

Borghi più belli
There is a site on which the most beautiful fortified towns in Italy are collected: I Borghi più belli d’Italia. Every self-respecting fortified town would like to be on that site too. And rightly so, the site is well looked at and there are real gems on it such as Mondavio, Corin by descendants of the original inhabitants aldo and also Pergola, my own hometown. Very good for promoting tourism! But what about all those other Borghi? Where  a large number of houses are abandoned or inhabited only in the month of August by descendants of the original inhabitans? What is the difference between those beautifully restored gems and their abandoned, gray colleagues? An explanation is not easily to be given.

Panoramic location
Borghi, small fortresses, served to defend a larger city and are therefore without exception in strategic places. On a forward hilltop, for example, with a view in all directions so that the enemy could be kept an eye on from afar. Let's find that very attractive! Located higher up, a view stretching from the Apennines to the sea. Often the Monte Conero is also clearly visible. I am now talking about the borghi in the area of ​​Pergola such as Monterolo, Monte Gherardo, Montevecchio and Rotondo. Just to name a few examples.

History
In the meantime I have visited quite a number of them and every time I am struck by the atmosphere that prevails there. The history of the region is almost tangible and each borgo has its own story. The old natural stone houses breathe stories and events from a distant and more recent past. But what is often still missing are new stories. People who are going to write their own history here.

Trend
Now there is a cautious trend that offers hope. The big cities have suddenly become less attractive, partly thanks to Covid-19. There is a growing interest in rural living and also in the Borghi. And why not? With the possibilities offered by the Bonus Sisma and the Ecobonus, you can now transform a ruin into a house with character but with all the comforts for little money. With the fast internet approaching, working from home in the countryside is becoming commonplace.

What makes the difference?
The difference between the gems and the deserted towns often lies in the fact that once certain Borghi have been discovered and several people start working on a restoration, a kind of critical limit is reached on which it becomes increasingly attractive to have a house to buy. And then such a Borgo becomes a lively place again. The presence of a restaurant such as in Nidastore and Loretello can also make all the difference. Another excellent method is to convert various buildings within a Borgo into guest houses. Then a Borgo becomes an Albergo diffuso… a scattered hotel. This form of sustainable tourism in turn attracts other entrepreneurs. But someone has to start, someone has to take the first steps….