Desenzano Seeks EU Funding to Restore and Revitalize Historic Castle
Desenzano is knocking on Europe’s door for funding. The stated goal: to restore the historic town castle and develop it as a tourist attraction for the city. The initiative was formalized by Vice Mayor Giustacchini through a letter of intent sent to the European Social Fund. Currently, the project’s developments are awaited—so far on paper—that aims to realize the “Renaissance of Desenzano Castle”.
“We aim to obtain a substantial contribution,” – says Vice Mayor Emanuele Giustacchini. “The budget for restoring the large complex that overlooks the city is soon calculated. It involves investing around 17, maybe 18 billion euros. That much is needed to revive the buildings, the habits, and the spaces within the walls of the ancient fortress, which has belonged to the municipality since the 1960s.”
“Of course, we are requesting recognition that, financially, is significant. In other words, if our idea is shared, we hope to secure a funding of many billions,” – he adds. Consequently, restoring the castle, at least the usable part owned by the municipality, has become a priority.
Current Status and Previous Projects
The structure has been abandoned and uninhabited for several decades. Recent administrations have carried out maintenance works, redoing the roof and making repairs here and there. But to revive the spaces of the 19th-century Beretta barracks, much more is needed.
Estimations are not lacking, demonstrating attention to the issue over recent years. The Massimo Rocca Administration had requested around twenty billion euros from the European Union. The application aimed to fund the Italy-UK project, which proposed restructuring the castle to house the European headquarters of the University of Southampton.
The two entities signed a memorandum of understanding and entrusted the drafting of a preliminary project to Sir Hopkins, a renowned figure in English architecture. However, the European Union rejected the application.
Municipality and University then attempted other routes, including sponsorship, a common practice in the United Kingdom but less so in Italy. The project was abandoned by the new center-right administration of Mayor Felice Anelli, who dismissed the request to allocate roughly half a billion euros to produce the definitive plan.
The Castle Support Committee deserves credit for recently bringing back to Desenzano’s attention the idea of restoring the castle. It also developed a concrete proposal.
Proposal and Expected Benefits
The plan involves refurbishing the spaces to establish a 1,000-seat theatre and conference hall capable of hosting national and international conferences as well as high-level performances. Additionally, a large area dedicated to cultural and commercial exhibitions to promote regional and national products, an open-air theatre, plus amenities like services and restaurants.
According to estimates, this structure will boost Desenzano’s tourism and commercial economy, creating a ripple effect valued at approximately 30 billion euros annually, besides generating many jobs. “We are aligned with the Committee’s proposals,” – states Emanuele Giustacchini.
The European call for proposals to which we have responded with our letter of intent aims to restore historic buildings to create structures with cultural and social significance, such as theatres and conference rooms. We intend to act on this.
There is the challenge of a very demanding financial commitment. We are exploring all possible avenues. The European Union grant process seems the most convincing because the funds are non-repayable,” – he concludes. “The people of Desenzano hope that this initiative, which finally foresees the castle’s rebirth, will come to fruition.”