Renzi, thrashing the superintendencies: interventions on stadiums will bypass authorizations

The “sbloccastadi” amendment (55.0.12) to the draft conversion into law of the simplification decree (76/2020) has been approved. The amendment, which bears the signatures of four senators (Matteo Renzi of Italia Viva, Caterina Biti of the PD, Dieter Steger of the Südtiroler Volkspartei, and Nazario Pagano of Forza Italia), had been strongly advocated by Renzi himself, who thus takes a small victory in his long fight against superintendencies. The amendment stipulates that those who want to modernize sports facilities intended to host professional competitions can carry out the work in derogation of the superintendence’s authorizations (in particular Articles 10, 12, 13, 136 and 140 of the Cultural Heritage Code) and any declarations of cultural interest already adopted. The work will only have to take into account the specific structural, architectural or visual elements whose preservation or reproduction, even in forms and dimensions different from the original, is strictly necessary for testimonial purposes. It will be up to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities to identify these elements.

The ministry, however, will have ninety days to take this action, extendable once by another thirty days for requests for documents that are not already in the possession of the superintendency). If the timeline is not met, the artistic, historical and cultural protection restriction on the stadium being worked on will cease, and the effects of declarations of cultural interest already adopted will cease. And again, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities will have to take into account that the need to preserve the testimonial value of the stadium is of lesser importance than that of ensuring the functionality of the facility itself for the purposes of public safety, health and security, as well as the adaptation to international standards and the economic-financial sustainability of the facility.

Renzi, speaking at the microphones of Lady Radio, commented with satisfaction on the approval of the amendment. “If there is the authorization of the municipality, there is no more need for the passage of the Superintendence: this is a very important element because it bypasses a huge constraint. That is, in a nutshell, put a bit brutally: it’s not that Commisso [president of Fiorentina, ed.] does the stadium where he wants, it’s not that he does it in Piazza della Signoria, also because nobody thinks about doing the stadium in Piazza della Signoria. No: the municipality, which is the most important urbanistic entity, says where you make the stadium together with the company that wants to make it, but that stadium no longer needs the permissions of the Superintendence. Example: you want to knock down the curves and bring it closer? You can do that. You want to redo it all covered? You can do that. It’s a breakthrough.”

“Stadiums,” added the Italia Viva senator, “are not meant to stay forever. Because if that was the case we would have a situation of blocking the country. And there is a labor problem here. The mechanism of this rule is very simple: dear superintendence, take care of many things, but not the stadiums, because the municipality takes care of the stadiums.” Even earlier, in late August, and still on Lady Radio, Renzi had expressly said that his amendment is a measure against superintendencies: “Is this amendment against superintendencies? Yes, in the sense that in my opinion you cannot intervene on a soccer stadium the way you intervene on a work of Raphael or on Ponte Vecchio. You are not asking to make a stadium in Ponte Vecchio or the Colosseum, but if Fiorentina decides to redo the stadium in Campo di Marte, the agreement with the municipality should be enough. The other parties say find a lighter formula.”

Below is the full text of the approved amendment.

"Art. 55-bis.

1. In Article 62 of Decree-Law No. 50 of April 24, 2017, the following shall be added after paragraph 1:

"1-bis. In order to prevent land consumption and to make more efficient sports facilities intended to host competitive competitions at the professional level, as well as in order to ensure the adaptation of such facilities to international standards of public safety, health and security, the entity that intends to carry out the interventions referred to in the preceding paragraph may also proceed by way of derogation from Articles. 10, 12, 13, 136 and 140 of Legislative Decree No. 42 of January 22, 2004, and to any declarations of cultural or public interest already adopted, in compliance only with the specific structural, architectural or visual elements whose preservation or reproduction, even in forms and dimensions different from the original one, is strictly necessary for witness purposes. The identification of such elements, if any, is referred to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, which shall indicate the manner and form of their preservation, even detached from the new sports facility, by means of renovation or building replacement aimed at the improved usability of the facility itself. The measure referred to in the preceding period shall be adopted within the term of ninety days from the request of the owner or concessionaire of the sports facility, extendable once only by an additional thirty days for the acquisition of documents that are not already in the possession of the territorially competent Superintendence and necessary for the preliminary investigation. After this period has elapsed without the Ministry having completed the verification, the artistic, historical and cultural protection constraint falling on the sports facility shall cease to exist and the effects of any declarations of cultural interest already adopted shall cease.

1-ter. In adopting the measure referred to in the preceding paragraph, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities shall take into account that the need to preserve the testimonial value of the facility is recessive with respect to the need to ensure the functionality of the facility for the purposes of public safety, health and security, as well as the adaptation to international standards and the economic - financial sustainability of the facility. The aforementioned overriding need is also relevant for the purposes of environmental impact assessments and landscape compatibility of the intervention."

Pictured: Matteo Renzi at the Fiorentina stadium.

Renzi, thrashing the superintendencies: interventions on stadiums will bypass authorizations

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.