“All good things come to an end sooner or later. And fifteen years of “resistance” are not few for us ». A bitter smile on the face of Bruna Gabriella Mellano, 56, a merchant from Caraglio. On Monday 31 January Passepartout will close forever, the first and only bookshop in the ultra-centuries-old history of the capital of the Valle Grana. He had opened it on November 17, 2007, in a small room in the upper part of Via Roma, upstream from the town. A few square meters where many books of fiction, non-fiction, novels, a section for children from 0 to 15 years, the news of the large publishing groups, but also the Edizioni Cuneo with local authors and volumes dedicated to the territory have found space.
“At the beginning we thought of a temporary location, and then we moved to the most central part of Via Roma – says Bruna Gabriella, assisted in recent years by her husband Mauro Armando -. It wasn’t like that for many reasons, primarily the most expensive rent in that area. Selling only books is not easy at all. How it was not easy, in the early years, to make people understand the difference between a library, the stationery shop that occasionally offers books, and a real bookshop, which had never been in Caraglio ».
Over time, another important aspect has also emerged. “Surely we read less and less, we are losing the sense of the culture of the book, seen as a boring thing especially by young people – he continues -. Among our loyal customers, whom I thank for their trust, there are great readers who also devour 3-4 books a week. But more generally, reading today is considered almost a stretch, when instead it should be a pleasure ». The pandemic has also left its mark, with the boom in online sales. In 2020 alone, publishing in Italy grew by 2.4% overall, e-commerce channels (Amazon in the lead) absorbed 43% of the market.
«Obvious the consequences – Bruna Gabriella resumes -. People prefer to order on the Internet and receive a book comfortably at home, even on Sundays ». On Monday the last day of work, Passpartout will be open again today (Sunday 29 January) from 9.30 to 12.30, with many discounts on the latest volumes available. «There are few things left, especially classics – he concludes -. Regrets? No, I’m happy, I have many plans for the future. First of all, go back to reading in a relaxed way as it once was. When I lower the shutter, maybe even a tear will escape. But I admit that it was always heavier, that shutter, to be raised in the morning ».