“Mamma Elena: The Life and Legacy of a Tenacious Restaurant Owner”.

In the house in via Campana, in Villa d’Almè, he warms his bones in the warmth of the sun that filters through the windows. They overlook the tavern that he has managed for a lifetime. Literally: because she was at the stove (and not only that, she did everything) for 70 of the 103 years she will turn on May 3rd. «Del Ponte», the restaurant was called, due to its proximity to the Botta viaduct, and internationally famous cyclists, workers and masons from the valley have passed through here. Not to mention the kids from neighboring towns. Waiting for them, after the evenings of revelry, there was always a plate of pasta ready. “Even if they didn’t have a penny in their pocket, they knew that the door was always open”, says the one who for everyone was “mamma Elena”. A very tough woman, with blue eyes, who worked for a lifetime without ever complaining, «because I was happy with what I was doing».