Riva Dispute Over Porticoes: Cultural Heritage, Urban Design, and Legal Clash

In the deadlock, at the final glass, between the Cultural Heritage of the province and the municipality of Riva, different elements are intertwined. While there is a clear interest in using the porticoes for economic purposes, a principle issue has emerged, with the administration striving to be recognized—at all costs—as having the right to manage the square without outside interference.

In the long history of this dispute, there is the shadow of an affront that must be addressed. It was 1997, during urban redesign works, when the central squares were turned upside down. Amidst the mountain of daily problems, the issue of tables from the Centrale, Benacense, and Portici hotels arose: it was understandable that they needed to defend their right to operate during certain hours.

Winkler’s proposal was seen as ugly and was rejected by the council. It involved a fixed glass barrier running the length of the square, composed of slabs one meter thirty high, embedded in the ground and arranged in zigzag formation, one after another, six to ten meters away from the edge of the porticoes.

Alternative project and protection decisions

The administration, namely the assessor Matteotti and architect Campetti, with Mayor Molinari’s blessing, devised an alternative plan: closing the arches of the porticoes with glass according to a design approved and applauded by architect Carlini, responsible for Cultural Heritage in the Basso Sarca area.

However, the project in Trento received a loud and unexpected rejection from Cultural Heritage. Meanwhile, two out of three operators have already closed their porticoes—Hotel Portici following Campetti’s plan precisely; Centrale also introducing a metallic profile over the gray stone arch, which will eventually need to disappear (but waiting for approvals is economically unfeasible).

Cultural Heritage has mandated Centrale and Portici to dismantle the glass panels by September 30: they ignore this, tacitly supported by the municipality, which has filed an appeal to the Tar against Cultural Heritage and the province.

Judicial situation and future plans

Matteotti could easily resolve the dispute by simply making a minor change to the Campetti project, just to claim that it is no longer the one rejected in ’97. Today, with Molinari in charge as assessor, there is no doubt about approval.

Instead, the municipality is waiting for the Tar to compel Cultural Heritage to withdraw their decision. If the province wins at the Tar, Matteotti announces that they will proceed to the Council of State.

The municipality cannot and does not want to accept that any provincial service might object to a project that is technically sound and aesthetically impeccable, prepared by the municipality regarding the use of Riva’s main square. In Riva, the Rivans must be in control.