The reason was not a birth boom but Grono’s ability to attract new inhabitants. and businesses too, as the Birreria Quarter complex testifies. Because communities grow if there is a common vision, if the public and private sides each play their own role, with the first that directs and controls and the second that invests and realizes.

On the previous pages we presented a snapshot of the representatives of the Municipality of Grono. At the center there is Samuel Censi. For almost ten years, he has been the head of the Commune. As well as being mayor, he is also a member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Grigioni./Graubünden. He explains to us the strengths of the country, being able to attract residents and businesses. “We offer families education services, from the private nest until the end of elementary school, while the middle schools are in Roveredo, a couple of kilometers away, and in Mesocco. Also the offer of leisure, culture and sport is rich: group games, fields for sports, trails in the green, a municipal library that is also the center of cultural events.”

Aid has also come from improved infrastructure links. “With the new junction of the A13” - explains Censi – “has offered an advantage to those who live in Grono to quickly reach the city, but also for the main economic activities, so much so that we have two craft-industrial areas in addition to several offices. Every day more workers arrive in Grono, than those who go out of the country”.

Then there are the tax advantages offered in Grigioni./Graubünden and there is a willingness to continue investing.

“The cycle path from Arbedo-Castione, which follows the route of the old Rhaetian Railway in the direction of Grono, will soon be opened. This is an example of how it is now necessary to know how to cooperate between municipalities in order to plan large scale projects. The Ca’ Rossa, a historic building in the town centre, has also been renovated and is ready to host the new cantonal and regional offices from July.”

“In the future, new buildings, according to the new federal planning guidelines, can only be erected in existing built-up areas under certain conditions. For this reason, it will also be necessary to focus on renovation and redevelopment. We will be working on the Verdabbio town hall and the old railway station.”

The mayor of Grono is also concerned about the future.

“We are becoming an increasingly individualistic society and I notice that it is becoming more and more difficult to pass on the baton within associations. There are fewer places and opportunities for discussion. The loss of a sense of belonging and identity, a consequence of the times, is common to many associations.”

Censi is a passionate cyclist and gives us advice for those who find themselves cycling around Grono, a place of his heart: “Traveling the canyon area along the River Moesa towards Leggia is very pleasant. Especially in the summer season”. The mayor also praises the lake in Val Cama: “It’s really worth a trip”. The alpine lake is located in the valley of the same name, whose territory is divided between Cama and Grono (until 2017 was in the Municipality of Verdabbio, then it was the merger with Grono and Leggia). “We have noticed an increase in tourist arrivals even from outside the region. There is a wide range of hiking, mountain biking and canoeing trails in our valleys, and more and more people choose this type of natural discovery of the territory”.

Perhaps Grono’s little big secret is to be a place where you can feel free enjoying an excellent quality of life. Anyway, in this edition of Bistrôt, we are not just talking about Grono. We remain “glocal”. There are stories from Australia, Europe, Geneva, Ticino because each adds another piece to the overall vision of Galli Group, to our world made up of Create, Reside, Live. Enjoy reading.