Ventimiglia’s covered market reopened over a week ago. Three months ago, a fire had ravaged the building, described as the town’s economic ‘vital lung’. But can we say that the market has already recovered its economy?
Ventimiglia’s covered market is a veritable symbol. Over and above the town’s reputation for its gastronomy and shops, the market attracts large numbers of Italians, French and tourists every day. A legendary place that has seen its economy grind to a halt and its market gardeners turned upside down.
‘We’re talking about hundreds and hundreds of people who haven’t been here for about three months. Almost half the town’s economy has come to a halt’.Flavio Di Muro, the Mayor of Ventimiglia
300,000 euros worth of work
On 1 September, a short-circuit in a refrigerator at a fruit and vegetable stand caused a terrible fire. Fortunately, the fire occurred during the night, causing no casualties. But the damage was extensive. As a result, the market had to close for 3 months to repair the damage and provide a new space for its traders. ‘Now the market has reopened because we asked for it to be opened by way of derogation, carrying out the work that is strictly necessary to start up again in complete safety inside this structure’, exclaimed Flavio Di Muro, the Mayor of Ventimiglia. ‘We have also made some much-needed improvements that have been overdue for decades, so that today the market is even more beautiful and functional than before’. Successful work that won’t stop there. In fact, the town’s mayor is already planning further work to make the market even more attractive and lively: ‘We will, of course, continue to invest in the market’.
‘Yes, I’m confident, I’m not afraid’.
For the market gardeners and shopkeepers in the covered market, it’s back to business as usual. Marco Ficarra has been a butcher at the market for 32 years. He explains that he hasn’t found all his customers yet: ‘After a week we haven’t seen everyone, but for Christmas we may start seeing the customers we’ve always had’, he says. And while Marco hasn’t yet seen all his customers again, he hasn’t completely recovered his turnover either. ‘We’ve lost three months‘ work, so that represents a loss of between €10,000 and €20,000, depending of course on the type of business and the type of customer’. And Marco still has some catching up to do. ‘I think it will take at least a year. Three months of closure for a business to catch up is twice, if not three times as long,’ he concludes.
‘We have now found our home. Customers will come back. We lost a lot of sales.’Marika Garganelli
Marika Garganelli has owned a grocery shop in the market for over 15 years. She stresses the importance of looking to the future: ‘Three months is a lot of lost revenue. But we must stop thinking about the past, because unfortunately what’s lost is lost. We have to look to the future’. But despite the rather difficult economic fallout for the market gardeners, they are all happy to be back in their stalls and with their customers. ‘We’re happy to be here again, because for us, it’s like having our home back,’ exclaims Marika.
The shopkeepers and customers aren’t the only ones who are happy; the mayor of Ventimiglia is just as happy: ‘There’s a general happiness. All these shopkeepers were unemployed for two months. Now they’ve got their jobs back, and they’ve also got back the Ventimiglia customers who are attached to their market. Now I can see that things are picking up again, so we’re very satisfied’.
The town’s vital lung
Flavio Di Muro, the Mayor of Ventimiglia, makes it clear: the covered market is a ‘natural commercial centre’ that brings in the most money compared with the rest of the town’s economic activities. ‘People go to see what’s there, maybe they don’t buy anything there, but then they go to the bar opposite to have a coffee, so we’re missing the main attraction’, he explains. He continues with a French comparison: ‘Do you think that if we suddenly removed the Eiffel Tower from the square where it stands, there would be the same number of customers in the same bars and restaurants in the surrounding square?’
It’s a place that attracts customers from all over the world every year: ‘Not only is it the place where many Ventimiglians do their shopping, but it’s above all the place where the French, Monegasques and other tourists go because it’s a place where they can see our traditions, our typical products, and live directly with our community’, adds the mayor.
