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| Csoa Forte Prenestino | |
|---|---|
| Name | Forte Prenestino |
| Established | 1986 |
| Location | Rome, Italy |
Csoa Forte Prenestino Csoa Forte Prenestino is an autonomous social center and cultural space located in Rome, Italy. Founded in the 1980s within a disused military fortification, it has functioned as a hub for alternative culture, social movements, and community projects. The center has intersected with notable Italian and international figures, organizations, and events across activism, music, and urban social policy.
The site was originally part of the ring of fortifications built in the 19th century near Porta Maggiore and Prenestina infrastructure projects associated with urban expansion during the reign of Kingdom of Italy. During the 20th century the complex intersected with administrations of the Regia Marina, the Italian Army and municipal property transfers under the Comune di Roma. The occupation in 1986 echoed squatting movements observed in Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, and Paris and paralleled actions by groups linked to Autonomia Operaia, Lotta Continua, and later networks connected to No Global activism and the World Social Forum sphere. Influences and exchanges occurred with cultural initiatives associated with Centro Sociale Leoncavallo, Diagonale, and transnational exchanges including collectives from London, Berlin, Barcelona, and Athens.
After the initial takeover, the site negotiated intermittent confrontations and negotiations with authorities of the Comune di Roma, the Ministero della Difesa, and magistrates from the Tribunale di Roma. Legal contestation involved property law disputes, administrative decisions by the Giunta Comunale, and interventions by prefectural offices represented by the Prefettura di Roma. The center survived eviction attempts similar to those faced by Gasworks (arts centre), Metelkova, and other squats which led to rulings in regional courts like the Corte d'Appello di Roma. Over decades, tactics combined juridical appeals, popular mobilizations with unions such as the Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro and political parties including Partito della Rifondazione Comunista and civic committees allied with Associazione 21 Luglio to contest eviction orders.
Forte Prenestino has housed festivals, concerts, and exhibitions attracting artists and groups from the Italian music scene and international scenes associated with Punk subculture, Hip hop, Reggae, and Electronic music communities. Performers and collaborators have included promoters who worked with stages linked to Rock in Roma, networks similar to Rage Against the Machine's solidarities, and booking circuits shared with venues like Circolo degli Artisti and Ex Dogana. Visual arts exhibitions connected to curators from MAXXI, collaborations with collectives influenced by Situationist International ideas, and film screenings in a program referencing works by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, and documentaries akin to those by Ken Loach have been hosted. Workshops and courses engaged educators and activists from Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", community educators associated with Caritas Italiana, and cultural mediators who liaise with projects like Maggio dei Monumenti.
Political organizing at the center has included anti-fascist coordination with groups such as ANPI, migrant support initiatives in collaboration with Associazione 21 Luglio and Italian Council for Refugees (CIR), and housing solidarity actions resonant with campaigns by Unione Inquilini and Federazione Italiana Pubblici Esercizi. Projects have linked to health outreach echoing practices of Medici Senza Frontiere volunteers, environmental actions inspired by Legambiente and urban gardening similar to initiatives by Orti Urbani collectives. Debates and assemblies have engaged scholars from Università Roma Tre and activists tied to European Social Forum networks, while fundraising intersected with independent publishers and labels interacting with Feltrinelli distribution channels.
The complex occupies a portion of the 19th-century fort, featuring bastions, casemates, and subterranean galleries comparable to other fortified sites like Fortezza da Basso or Castel Sant'Angelo in adaptive reuse. Internal spaces were converted into performance halls, rehearsal rooms, exhibition galleries, printshops, and communal kitchens inspired by collective kitchens operated by Banco Alimentare-related initiatives. Infrastructure adaptations required coordination with heritage authorities such as the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la città di Roma and compliance dialogues involving technical offices at the Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo.
The center has been a focal point for disputes involving municipal policing by the Polizia di Stato, interventions coordinated with the Carabinieri, and political debates within the Consiglio Regionale del Lazio. Incidents attracted media coverage by outlets including La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, and international reporting in The Guardian and Der Spiegel when clashes occurred during attempted evictions. Tensions also arose with nearby residents represented by local neighborhood associations and councillors from factions like Forza Italia and Movimento 5 Stelle, while solidarity mobilizations drew support from trade unions such as Unione Sindacale di Base and cultural figures sympathetic to autonomous spaces including writers and musicians who have engaged publicly in defense campaigns.
Category:Buildings and structures in Rome Category:Social centres in Italy