Bar Alimentari Da Ernesta

At the top of Europe’s largest lake island, Monte Isola, and located in the highest hamlet right at the beginning of the village, stands Bar Alimentari Da Ernesta. From there, you must pass through to reach the summit and the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Ceriola. A real meeting point for the small community of eighty people who live there, it was opened in 1967 by Ernestina Archini in Via Cure 12 and has been run since 1987 by her daughter Marisa Turla, the current owner, assisted by her children Enrica and Battista. In the beginning, it was simply a small shop below her home, and every morning at dawn, Ernestina would walk down to the lake to buy bread and then sell it in the shop. The shelves were stocked with basic necessities, pasta, wine and little else. However, there were a couple of tables where the villagers would sit and play cards and spend a few hours together. Today, it seems as if time has stood still: the tables are still there and everyone knows each other. Now an institution for the whole of Monte Isola, spring and summer tourists pass through here on their way up from the woods, along the paths that climb towards the sanctuary. They sell typical local products and cold cuts, beers and soft drinks, and prepare appetising sandwiches and toasts. Open 365 days a year, it also provides an important takeaway and grocery shopping service for third parties.

This shop has been recognized as a Historical Business by Regione Lombardia

Photos by Alimentari Da Ernesta