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by Katie Haak The upbeat music pours in through the speakers in the front corner of the little Tabaccheria Edicola, Cagli's tobacconist "I love to come in and turn the music on in the morning," says Eros Santini, the owner. The shop has been home to Santini for his whole life. It overflows with little knick-knacks, knick-knacks that convey a sense of familiarity and comfort. Yellow-tinted postcards have been on the wall for some time. Local newspapers and magazines line the other wall. Hanging nearby, little games like trading cards, The Turtles and Barbie to entertain the local children are available. Behind the counter stands a man of about 5-foot-7. His dark hair and fair skin are lighted with a smile and a friendly "Ciao." Santini loves to point out to his customers that he resembles the man in the picture. The man, Sergent Gareia, is well-known European singer. Santini stands with his hand on his hip to capture the same pose as that in the picture. All present laugh that he does in fact resemble Sergent Gareia. Santini's charming demeanor brings customers back into his store day in and day out. |
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Customers are always around. " Ciao, Come stai, Eros?" one customer says. Without hesitation Santini grabs exactly what the patron wants before he asks for it. Santini's father, Pietro, founded the Tabaccheria Edicola 20 years ago, and Santini worked there for 15 y Santini lives in Picon, 15.5 miles from Cagli, with his 19-month-old son, Giacomo. Each day Santini drives back and forth to the shop. He comes in around 11 a.m. after his father has sold all of the morning papers. On occasion Santini comes in on the morning, but on the whole his father runs the shop from 7 a.m. "The morning hours are the heaviest times of the day. Mondays are the busiest time of the week," says Santini. Everyone in Cagli knows that the Tabaccheria Edicola closes its doors between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. for pausa. The Piazza Giacomo Matteotti is buzzing as Santini reopens his doors at 4 p.m. to meet his customers' needs. |
Santini moves about the shop tending to his customers, always asking them how their day is going and what he can do for them. In fact it is rare that he is not behind the counter. The usual conversation is about the World Cup soccer or how nice the Cagli weather has been in the past week, how the children are doing and if the customer is having a good day. He is usually checking up on his customer's daily lives. Santini has been helping his father in the Tabaccheria Edicola since he was 15 years old. Before they owned the Tabaccheria Edicola, his family owned a bar and pizza shop, but the Tabaccheria Edicola is where he spent most of his time. Did he ever feel pressure to take over the family store? "My father never forced me to take over the shop. I just grew up being here. I felt like it was a part of me." It is Santini's second home. Over the 15 years that he has worked at the Tabaccheria Edicola he has seen changes among his customers" There are a few customers that still come by the shop, but not that many any more." Santini adds, "There are more outsiders in Cagli." Santini grew up running around on these streets, playing in the Piazza Matteotii after midnight on weekends. He knows this town and nearly everyone in it. "I like the people here." Santini says. "The quality of life is better here, and it's quiet." The Tabaccheria Edicola is a family-owned store, but will it always maintain that status? Will Santini encourage his son to run the family business? "I would like for my son to go to college and get an education. He can work here if he wants, but I want him to do other things in his life." Photos by Lindsay Bellomo |
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ears before he took over the store six years later in 2000. The father chose his location as one of the main storefronts on the Piazza Giacomo Matteotii, which turns out to be a prime location for business. "My father has retired, but he still helps me every now and then," Santini says. 
