Centro Sociale Leoncavallo
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Centro Sociale Leoncavallo is a self-managed social centre in Milan, Italy, which exists since a former factory on via Leoncavallo was
squatted Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
in 1975. It was evicted and partially demolished in 1989, then quickly reoccupied and rebuilt. It was evicted again in 1994 and briefly moved to a warehouse for six months before occupying its still extant location on via Antoine Watteau. Activities include concerts, theatre, debates, exhibitions and a radio station. The centre describes itself as Leoncavallo Self-Managed Public Space (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
: Leoncavallo Spazio Pubblico Autogestito).


History

The Leoncavallo
social centre Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...
was first
occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...
in 1975. The former Scotti pharmaceutical factory (3,600m²) was on Leoncavallo Street in the northeast of the city. In 1989, the mayor of Milan decided to evict the building's residents in accordance with the wishes of the owner and it was then partially demolished. A few days after the eviction, Leoncavallo was reoccupied and rebuilt by hand. Rightwing politicians campaigned against the centre in 1994, and it was again evicted. A warehouse on via Salomone was occupied for some months and then a new zone (a former printers) was squatted on via Antoine Watteau, close to the first site. It was 10,000m², with courtyards set around buildings and a central square. '' Le Monde diplomatique'' stated that in the late 1990s,
Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been Federal Secretary of Italy's Lega Nord (Northern League) party s ...
, who was at that time a city councillor, drank beer and attended events at the centre, defending it against attacks by the mayor, Marco Formentini. However, a detailed investigation by '' Jacobin'' concluded that Salvini had claimed affinity at one point for political gain but most likely was not a regular visitor. Eventually, the city decided against eviction and the owners did not request it, since they were hoping to be paid rent. By 2000, no agreement had been reached between the parties, and the following year a representative of the centre was elected to the city council as a member of the Communist Party (
Rifondazione Comunista The Communist Refoundation Party ( it, Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, PRC) is a communist political party in Italy that emerged from a split of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in 1991. The party's secretary is Maurizio Acerbo, who replac ...
). In 2004, the Leoncavallo Foundation was set up to continue negotiations.


Activities

Activities at the vast centre include musical concerts, theatre shows, debates, language courses, workshops, art exhibitions and a radio station. Leoncavallo is also a hub for street art. Since 1995, free food and accommodation is provided for whoever needs it. As of 2003, 80 people were working at the centre, half as volunteers, half receiving "solidarity tokens" for their time. The centre is self-financing, generating the money it needs for upkeep from benefit concerts and bar takings. For ideological reasons, the centre refuses to pay taxes. When
Naomi Klein Naomi A. Klein (born May 8, 1970) is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses, support of ecofeminism, organized labour, left-wing politics and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism, ecofascism ...
visited Leoncavallo in 2001, she described it as "practically a self-contained city, with several restaurants, gardens, a bookstore, a cinema, an indoor skateboard ramp, and a club so large it was able to host
Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...
when they came to town." The still-extant centre defined itself in 2019 as Leoncavallo Self-Managed Public Space (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
: Leoncavallo Spazio Pubblico Autogestito).


See also

*
Forte Prenestino CSOA Forte Prenestino is a large self-managed social centre based in a squatted fort in Centocelle, Rome. It was occupied on May Day 1986. Forte Prenestino is an "important node of production of cultural and political events" and hosts many grou ...


References

{{Authority control Squats in Italy 1975 establishments in Italy Buildings and structures in Milan Music venues in Italy