Advent is a symbolic time of year: indeed, it represents a time of waiting, preparation and reflection, in preparation for the celebration of a birth, which will mark in various ways, the whole world.
In the case of Confcommercio Gorizia and La Via del BorGO we are talking about a renaissance: the one underway in the city’s historic center thanks to the NRP Bando Borghi. It is with this spirit that Confcommercio Gorizia has approached the weeks leading up to the Festivities, selecting a series of events and activities to rediscover the most authentic traditions that have always been a part of Gorizia and in particular of one of the city’s oldest nuclei: Borgo Castello.
An intent that ideally picks up the value legacy of Associazione Via Rastello, the bottom up movement that during the closing period of the pandemic represented the beginning of the village’s regeneration: inclusive, participatory, ambitious, based on the search for the identity of the place, to be enhanced historically and culturally to give even more value to the whole city. An intent that precisely in the Advent season found an original program of events and now comes to life instead in the Hat Shop.
The initiatives in the run-up to Advent – The heart of the activities proposed by Confcommercio Gorizia will be precisely the Bottega del Cappello in Via Rastello 52, the nerve center of La Via del BorGO, an urban and cultural redevelopment project – of which Confcommercio Gorizia is the leader – created as part of the PNRR Bando Borghi to rediscover and revitalize Via Rastello and Borgo Castello in the heart of Gorizia.
Many initiatives will enliven the store, starting with a special Advent calendar unveiled today in advance to the press along with the first issue of the periodical “La Via del BorGO,” a print publication that in December will see a second special issue dedicated precisely to Gorizia Christmas. Finally, four thematic walks to discover iconic places in the city’s historic center and the people who made its history will be held on the four Sundays of Advent.
The centrality of the Hat Shop – Everything therefore revolves right around the historic store that sold hats: walks will converge here , it will be possible to admire the windows set up with a Christmas theme and browse through the “newspaper” of La Via del BorGO. A way to give the local community and tourists new opportunities to share, learn and have fun during a magical time like Advent.
In addition, these special initiatives will provide an opportunity to immerse oneself in the slow tourism of Gorizia’s beauty and savor the typical tastes of the local food and wine tradition. At the Hat Shop, it will thus be possible to appreciate the small everyday things typical of villages, the result of a daily narrative that step by step accompanies the ongoing urban regeneration.
Advent Calendar – The Advent calendar is designed by Confcommercio Gorizia, which commissioned The Gorizianer to create an exclusive image that would represent the spirit of the trade association in the store on Rastello Street.
The Gorizianer – an Isonzo reality that, inspired by The New Yorker ‘s famous format, chronicles the cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica, their iconic places and surroundings – has thus shaped Confcommercio Gorizia’s commitment through animage depicting a view of Rastello Street and the Bottega del Cappello, decorated for Christmas, with the “onions” of the domes of St. Ignatius, the church overlooking Victory Square, inthe background. An iconic place in the city that can be glimpsed in the cover in the distance.
The illustration will appear both on the traditional Advent calendar and on a special 10×15 cm size postcard that will be given to patrons. Above all, the calendar cover will be visible in “giant” size on one of the store windows and will change shape, daily, as the windows open.
A “storytelling” about Gorizia, which can also be experienced on the digital channels of La Via del BorGOwith special insights also taken up by the project partners of La Via del BorGO, who with their garrisons and activities in Via Rastello are at the side of Confcommercio Gorizia in the redevelopment of the area. A series of activities then to get closer, day by day, to a “slow” place outside the most popular destinations, but that every day more and more – also in view of GO!2025 – aspires to become a destination to choose.
In fact, the 24 little windows contain inside them 24 iconic and representative symbols of the town and the city: the Advent calendar will thus be a real invitation to citizens and tourists to stop for a while, every day, discovering and rediscovering, also through the “slow” action of opening the little window, both the feeling of anticipation and the feeling of surprise for what awaits behind it.
A small daily gesture that also becomes a symbolic “countdown,” not only until Christmas, but ideally extending until February 2025, the time when Gorica, together with Nova Gorica, will be revealed in the international spotlight in the role of European Capital of Culture.
The printed periodical “La Via del BorGO” – Along with the calendar, the first issue of the “newspaper” of La Via del BorGO, named after the cluster led by Confcommercio Gorizia, was also presented. A new storytelling space to browse through and hold under your arm as you stroll down Rastello Street and Borgo Castello immersing yourself in the history of the heart of the city and the vibrancy of urban regeneration brought by the PNRR Bando Borghi.
Download no. 1 – The BorGO Way.
The first issue, consisting of four pages, discusses the challenging and borderless regeneration scenario where stories are intertwined and the city’s potential is realized; the origins of the name “Gorizia” and its first historical mention; the first historical image of the castle; and the figure of John Maria Marussig. These and many other curiosities make up the narrative of the first official release of “La Via del BorGO,” which is available free of charge at the Hat Shop, accommodations and businesses in the area.
A new way of networking also in view of the important and imminent GO!2025 event thanks to the work of a team of young Gorizians who have given the “newspaper” an editorial line aimed at in-depth historical and cultural coverage of Rastello Street and Borgo Castello. In this regard, the theme of the second issue-which will be released in December-will be about Christmas and some of the anecdotes featured in the 24 calendar windows.
Advent walks – The urban regeneration promoted by Confcommercio Gorizia as part of La Via del BorGO is also designed to give the local community and tourists visiting the city an experience to remember. It is in this spirit that during the four Sundays of Advent (Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22) four thematic walks will be held to rediscover Borgo Castello.
Detailed Program Walks:
Sunday, December 1:
Vanni Feresin, “Ursuline Nuns in Gorizia from the Time of the Plague to Napoleon”
Time: from 4:00 p.m. with departure and arrival at the Hat Shop; Maximum number of participants: 50 people
Sunday, December 8:
Micaela Grossa, From Red House to Rastello Street: from square to square along the Road to Vienna
We will talk about the events that involved three of the important squares in the city’s history, but also about the historic buildings laid out on the route of the carriages going to and from Vienna, the barycenters of an economy that no longer exists, and a few forgotten characters in the pages of a skilled storyteller of the past. “Curiosities and memories in bulk.”
Time: departure 10:00 a.m. (maximum duration 2 hours and 30 minutes) with meeting point in front of the Police Headquarters on Red House Street No. 1 and arrival at the Hat Shop; Maximum number of participants: 30 people
Sunday, December 15:
Valentina Randazzo, “Of comet stars, astronomers and starry skies,” a walk to discover illustrious personalities, starry vaults and famous stars along the historic village
Time: from about 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with meeting point in front of Michelstaedter’s statue on Rastello Street; Maximum number of participants: 25 people
Sunday, December 22:
Caterina Trovato, “No sta andar in via Cocevia,” a walk to (re)discover a street and its ancient forgotten tales
Time: from 3:15 pm, meeting point halfway down Viale D’Annunzio, in front of the steps leading into Borgo Castello; Maximum number of participants: 25 people
The walks are free of charge with reservations required. To book, simply send an e-mail to info@laviadelborgo.eu or a WhatsApp message to (+39) 334 750 5642 indicating: the number of participants, a name and a contact. Alternatively, reservations can be made directly at the store Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm.
