Castello Carrarese in Padua to become new cultural hub with museum and restaurant

The Tabacchi family, owners of the former Rinascente building in Padua, have reached an agreement with the city council to transform the Castello Carrarese into a new cultural hub. The deal involved the municipality ceding the constraint on the top floor of the ex-Rinascente, allowing the Tabacchi to invest €1.5 million in relocating their exhibition space to the medieval castle. The new venue will feature exhibition spaces and a rooftop restaurant. Meanwhile, the top floor of the ex-Rinascente is expected to host a Virgin Active fitness center. The Castello Carrarese, originally built by Ezzelino III da Romano and later expanded by the Carraresi family, has a surface area of about 400 square meters. The project aims to revitalize the historic building, which was previously used for bicycle production by inmates. City councilor for productive activities Antonio Bressa hailed the initiative as creating one of the city's most important cultural and tourist hubs.