On the east bank of the Adda, a few kilometers from Bergamo, stands one of the most important and ancient sites of industrial archeology in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. It is Crespi d'Adda, a workers' village built by the Lombard entrepreneur Cristoforo Crespi in 1878.
The site is dominated by the imposing sheds of the textile factory, the beating heart of the village, built in brick with graceful terracotta decorations and elegant Gothic mullioned windows. The entrance to the factory is striking, where a tall chimney in the morning stands out between the two wings of the neo-Gothic buildings of the executive offices, enlivened by the pastel colors of the architectural decorations.
The eclectic neo-gothic style of the factory is a counterpoint to the sobriety of the workers' houses. Distributed neatly in blocks, the workers' houses are still inhabited today by descendants of the factory workers, but they almost completely retain their appearance originally from the end of the 800th century.
In addition to the houses, the Crespi family he had all the buildings and structures necessary for the life of the community built: school, church, market, swimming pool, recreation center, wash house, doctor, theater and cemetery. The life of the workers of the Crespi company was perfectly organized within the village, from the cradle to the grave, according to a formula of industrial paternalism: the entrepreneur, like a caring father, was concerned about the education, health and social well-being of the their subordinates.
Today it is still possible stroll through the streets of the village, which has remained intact for more than a century, and see the houses of the workers, the villas of the managers and the large manor house, a kind of neo-medieval manor that dominates all the buildings, symbol of a new form of feudalism.
Around the Crespi village open the woods of the Adda and starts a nice walk along the river that leads to Trezzo, where it is possible to visit an ancient hydroelectric power station and the ruins of the Visconti castle. It is the ideal destination for a beautiful sunny Sunday, when guided tours are organized by the Crespi Cultura association.
