Rivoli Faces Uncertainty Over Fortress Sale Due to Miscommunication
“Sorry, we made a mistake. It’s not the fortress that’s for sale; it’s the powder magazine below.” The announcement from the Ministry of Defence arrived a month ago in the municipal offices of Rivoli via letter and has left the entire administration stunned and disheartened.
Situation and reactions of the administration
“Less than a year ago, the Ministry of Defence informed us that they had listed the Austrian fortress overlooking our municipality for sale, and it has since become somewhat of a symbol,” explains Mayor Armando Luchesa. “We were given about 50 days to exercise our right of first refusal and to secure the over 700 million euros needed to purchase it. We acted immediately.”
“We managed to obtain an 80 million euro loan from the Regione Lombardia, a figure sufficient to reach the amount necessary to block the sale pending the final deed. And now this blow. As municipality, we are in complete crisis.” Such a situation, for the administration and for the people—not only of Rivoli but of the entire Val d’Adige—borderlines almost on mockery.
The role of the fortress and community initiatives
The fortress had long become a meeting point for demonstrations, exhibitions, and various events. The building’s design is also depicted in the logo of the traditional wine festival Doc Valdadige, held annually in the towns of Brentino, Rivoli, and Dolcè.
To maintain it, a specific association named “Gli amici del forte” (“Friends of the Fortress”) was formed a few years ago. It took various initiatives in anticipation of the future acquisition. Now, however, everything has to start over.
Ongoing evaluations and decisions
According to the Ministry of Defence, the value of the fortress has not even been appraised yet, as no valuation report has been carried out so far.
“At this point, the best thing for us would be for everything to remain as it is,” snaps Luchesa. Currently, the Municipality has the fortress under a concession for an annual fee of three and a half million euros. This is the so-called reconnaissance fee, one-tenth of the actual rent, a type of lease agreement when state-owned buildings are leased to local entities for institutional purposes, as in the case of Rivoli.
“The situation that has developed is quite particular for our community, outside the realm of ordinary or extraordinary management, bordering on the exceptional. The fee for the fortress will be substantial, and it’s right that the decision whether to purchase it or not should rest with the entire citizenry, not just the mayor.”
Future prospects and referendum
This has led to the idea of organizing a referendum, preceded by a series of informational evenings, so that the population can decide on the matter. “The acquisition of the fortress could be part of a development strategy for the entire territory. But people need to have the chance to decide whether to shoulder this expense or not.
It remains to be seen if the Ministry of Defence, eager to settle the matter quickly, will give us the time to carry out the necessary bureaucratic and administrative procedures, which tend to be lengthy and complex.”
Antonella Traina