Closing of the public call for the former Askatasuna premises
Date of the event:
On 9 November 2026 the public call launched by the City of Turin to collect proposals for the repurposing and reuse of the building at corso Regina Margherita 47, in Turin, the former seat of the Askatasuna social centre, closed. By the deadline, nine expressions of interest had been submitted, by individuals, associations and Third Sector bodies [1][2].
The public call
This is a first, exploratory step, which does not amount to the selection of an operator nor to a decision on the future use of the spaces. The proposals are examined by municipal offices, which must verify their administrative and technical legitimacy, in order to gather input on the neighbourhood's needs and guide the administration's subsequent choices, both on the activities to be set up and on the procedure to be adopted [1]. The deputy mayor with responsibility for assets, Michela Favaro, states that the administration's goal is to «give the building back to the community, assigning it to social purposes open to the area and the neighbourhood» [1][2]. Among the expressions of interest is one linked to the Comitato Vanchiglia Insieme, a group at the centre of political controversy over its alleged closeness to Askatasuna, contested by part of the centre-right [1]. The building has been closed for almost a year, since the raid ordered by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and has since been guarded by police [2].
The press conference and the protest
While the City announces the closing of the call, a press conference organised by Fratelli d'Italia is held outside the building, with the participation of regional councillor Maurizio Marrone, who arrived around 12.30pm. The initiative is contested by about twenty protesters, some linked to the antagonist movement, who display a banner reading «Vanchiglia means freedom», a reworking of the historic slogan of the mobilisations against the eviction of Askatasuna [1][2]. For the occasion, armoured police and Carabinieri vehicles are deployed, along with a cordon of officers in riot gear [2]. During the conference, Marrone announces he has sealed in an envelope, to be handed to a notary, the name of who he predicts will be the building's future occupant, threatening to turn to the public prosecutor's office should it match the outcome of the municipal process: «We fear that the Palazzo Civico wants to assign the building to someone close to Askatasuna», he states [2].
Political reactions
The initiative is criticised by Alice Ravinale, of Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra, who calls it a provocation, objecting to the choice of holding the conference inside the building and to the tone used towards municipal officials. Along the same lines is the leader of the Democratic Party group on the City Council, Claudio Cerrato, who notes that «an expression of interest does not involve a competitive tender, and therefore no winners either», calling on Marrone to respect administrative rules [2]. The Palazzo Civico clarifies that the nine proposals will be examined by the offices to verify their administrative and technical regularity, and that their contents will help guide subsequent decisions on the building's use and on the procedure to follow [2].
Sources
- CronacaQui Torino — 9 November 2026
- Quotidiano Piemontese — 9 November 2026