🔷 100 New Jobs in Cermenate

🔹 Hello, Lake Como.

Confession: it took me four years of living on Lake Como to realise that small town festivals are a thing. We are talking about the local, niche, authentic ones.

Last year, Brienno’s Christmas market and Rovenna’s Castagne, Streghe e… Dintorni made it onto my favourites list. Last weekend, I added Palanzo’s Cantin Vert wine festival.

Highly recommend. Palanzo itself is incredibly beautiful, but during the festival the village opens its old wine cellars, you move from one to another tasting wines, and there’s live music in the streets. Hard not to love it.

It is officially sagra season, so don’t miss the good ones. I already have the Gorgonzola Sagra on my list next. But let me be honest - this one is only about the food. Everything made with Gorgonzola. Sign me up.

Did I successfully distract you from today’s bigger news?

The ECB raised interest rates again today, by 25 basis points. And according to Nomisma’s research, it takes around two quarters for the effects of higher rates to really show up in Italy’s housing market.

More on that in today’s Spotlight.

Let’s get into it.

-Simona

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What's Happening:

The ECB raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points today. The deposit rate will move from 2.25% to 2.50% from 16 September.

Two days earlier, Nomisma published an analysis of what higher borrowing costs could mean for Italy’s residential property market.

Facts:

What does it mean for us?

Keep in mind that Nomisma’s analysis covers Italy as a whole, not Lake Como specifically. The local market has a strong second-home and international component, where buyers are often less dependent on mortgages - we covered the numbers on this in the previous issues.

And a slowdown in transactions does not automatically mean falling property prices.

The first sign of a weaker market may simply be fewer homes changing hands. We’ll be watching.

🚀 NExT Accelerator. Applications open from 15 September to 15 October for up to 15 startups. The programme is equity-free and open to companies established for at least 12 months with technology at TRL 5 or above.

🏭 100 Jobs in Cermenate. Medacta has opened a new 10,000m² facility on Via Bisbino. The site is expected to bring around 100 jobs to Cermenate over time.

🛠️ Kapriol Sale. France’s Groupe RG has agreed to acquire Lecco-based Morganti, owner of Kapriol. Closing is expected by the end of October, with the management, 120 employees and brand set to remain.

🧵 Two Innovation Zones. ComoNExT is leading a Como–Varese textile proposal focused on automation, technical fabrics and advanced recycling. Lecco has submitted a separate rehabilitation and longevity proposal; both are under regional review.

🏪 123 Shops Gone. Lecco’s registered retailers fell from 565 to 442 between 2019 and 2025. Across the province, 473 businesses and 1,424 retail jobs disappeared.

💶 Gone in a Day. The Como-Lecco tourism grant we shared in August closed on its opening day after the available funds were exhausted and the waiting list filled.

🚌 Match Ticket = Bus Ticket. Como football ticket and season-pass holders can use ASF’s urban buses for free for two hours before and after home matches. Extra post-match services are also planned.

🌉 Kennedy Bridge Plan. Lecco has allocated €40K to update the structural project required to restore the bridge’s third traffic lane. The eventual consolidation could cost around €2M.

🅿️ 62 More Spaces. Collegio Gallio has opened its internal car park to the public from 6am to 11pm. Parking costs €2.50 an hour, with cash-only payment for now.

🚁 Helicopters Grounded. Griante has stopped helicopter movements from its municipal football pitch after discovering it was being used for transfers to luxury villas without council approval. The flights had an ENAC-approved flight plan.

🏍️ €50M+ Moto Guzzi Makeover. The Associated Press covered Moto Guzzi’s five-year Mandello redevelopment: 5,500 additional square metres, a new museum and potential production capacity of 30,000 motorcycles a year.

MUSIC · 🎻 Suggestioni Italiane
Boccherini, Donizetti and Hummel, performed with an original nineteenth-century Broadwood piano. · Friday 11 September, 18:30 · Villa Carlotta, Tremezzina · Booking required

SPORTS · 🏄 King of Como Lake Cable
International cable-wakeboard athletes compete in the qualifiers and head-to-head finals, followed by DJs from 20:00. · Saturday 12 September, 10:00–midnight · Como Lake Cable Park, Colico

ON THE LAKE · 🛥️ Villa d’Este Style: Vintage Yachting
Historic boats gather at Villa d’Este for a lake parade, garden exhibition and awards. · Saturday 12 September, 10:00–16:30 · Villa d’Este, Cernobbio · Reservation required; weather-dependent

COMMUNITY · 🤍 White Charity Dinner Party
Cocktails, dinner and dancing in support of Noivoiloro’s inclusive musical and community activities. Dress code: white with a gold detail. · Saturday 12 September, from 18:30 · Noivoiloro, Erba · Booking required

MUSIC · 🎹 Beethoven: Eroica
A rare British Library arrangement of Beethoven’s Eroica for piano quintet, performed on period instruments, alongside a world premiere. · Sunday 13 September, 18:30 · Centro Cardinal Ferrari, Como · Booking required

FOOTBALL · ⚽ Como 1907 v Parma
Como host Parma at the Sinigaglia on Monday evening. · Monday 14 September, 18:30 · Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como · Tickets required