Lake Garda Mosque Proposal Advances as Desenzano Property Under Review
Will Islam arrive on Lake Garda? The initiative to establish a mosque and an Islamic cultural center in Desenzano took an important step forward yesterday, although it was not definitive. In fact, there was an inspection to assess the property at the center of the project.
As we already previewed about ten days ago in these columns, it involves the project to repurpose the building of the current Cinema Teatro Alberti, which once hosted the church of the ancient convent of S. Maria De Senioribus. The church was closed in the early 1800s. It was later transformed into a theater with a series of balconies.
The initiative was successful enough that around Lake Garda, it was called the small Scala. Then, the glamour of the Belle Époque was overtaken by the cinema. Thus, the box-office owners ceded their shares around the 1950s to the Bergamaschi family, father of the current owner.
The hall was converted into a cinema, following the fate of provincial cinemas, experiencing an inevitable decline. Therefore, the owner is seeking alternative solutions, especially ones more financially interesting. In this vein, the Muslim community of Milan (about 250,000 people), informed about the existence of the large structure and the owner’s intentions, has also shown interest.
Visit and evaluation of the property
Yesterday, the president of the Instituto Culturale Islamico on Viale Ienner, architect Abdel Hamid Shari, visited Desenzano to review the characteristics of Cinema Alberti. “The place,” he said, “appears suitable to meet our needs. In particular, the size of the cinema, especially the height of the hall, seems appropriate for creating a Muslim cultural center, but a mosque could also fit.”
The tourist area is suitable for organizing meetings and conferences. Additionally, the building, which is old, would return to its original purpose—as a church. We are interested in purchasing it because our goal is to establish a presence here. The owner has other proposals and is evaluating them; she appears inclined to rent the cinema, even for a long period.”
“Time will tell.” So, negotiations are underway. It remains to see what interest the Municipality might have in this “deal.” Desenzano, in fact, only has the auditorium Celesti, built in an old church, while there is an idea to renovate the castle into an 800-seat hall.
Situation and prospects for the management of the structures
The auditorium is a small-scale facility. The Administration could therefore provide the city with a true theater by renting out the Alberti. Contact with the property has never led anywhere. Might there be a reconsideration?