The Caffè Fillungo closes tomorrow. For good.

It was one of our favourite places in Lucca. It offered some of the best pastries in town, especially the sfogliadelle, Napolitan ricotta cheese-filled thingies that you cannot find here in Tuscany. We also really liked the friendliness of the owners, grand-parents, parents and children of the same family that had run it for decades.

One of its main assets, which ended up being the cause of its doom, was its location: at the corner of the two main shopping thouroughfares in Lucca, via Fillungo, and via Roma, it was in the best spot to attract tourists and locals alike. The space itself though, was owned by one of the richest family in Lucca. The last time the lease came up for renewal, the lanlords announced that they would slightly increase the monthly rent, from 1500 euros to 6000! There was no way that such a small café with all of its 4 tables, could bring in that kind of money.

So tomorrow, Caffè Fillungo will close its doors, to give way to a Foot Locker.

People come to Lucca for its ancient charm, to stroll its quiet streets, do some window shopping in the exclusive stores of Via Fillungo, and yes, enjoy the coffee and good food. In short, they come here to catch a glimpse of older times, both through the town architecture, but also through its lifestyle. A Foot Locker, especially in such a great location, might bring in some good money, after all teenagers here are no different than in any other town in the Western World, but I believe it will also detract from the appeal of Lucca, certainly for me, but also for all the tourists who fuel the economy of the town. The irony, of course, is that this will also in turn decrease the value of all the other buildings in Lucca, most of which are owned by the same landlord.

Now store owners in Lucca are quite scared, as lots of them rent from the same landlords, and they are afraid of being the next on the list.

As for me, I am a little sad to see Lucca changing for the worst, and I just hope that the people from Caffè Fillungo find another place and open another Pasticceria in Lucca so I can get my favourite sfogliadelle back.

posted by michel, 2005-02-26