RENT-A-TOWN (August 2, 2014)
I often argue that Motovun has become a stage set of sorts (“A Stage Set,” July 15, 2013). Old people die and young people leave. A growing number of owners of buildings, shops, or restaurants come from elsewhere, and the same holds for those who rent out these facilities so as to provide all kinds of services for the growing number of tourists. The hilltown is thus crowded during tourist seasons and almost deserted between them. As years go by, this trend will become ever more pronounced. While I was talking about this sorry state of affairs earlier today, I came up with a term that struck me as perfect for the stage set in the making: rent-a-town. Sooner or later, someone will indeed rent the whole town for a few merry weeks. But Motovun will be ready for the lucrative venture in just a few short years.