Milan's Palazzina Liberty renovation sparks municipal petition

The historic Palazzina Liberty in Milan's Parco Vittorio Formentano has been closed for nine months for renovations, with no public communication on timelines, leading to neglect. The Municipio 4, along with cultural figures including Stefania Aleni, Claudia Brancaccio, Raffaello Vignali, and Andrée Ruth Shammah, launched a petition demanding the city restore its musical and cultural function. Originally designed in 1908 by Alberto Migliorini as the Verziere market's café, the Art Nouveau building later housed Dario Fo's theater collective, the Civica Banda di Milano, and since 1994, the Milano Classica chamber orchestra. A 2021 city council resolution approved a 30-year concession requiring €3 million in safety upgrades, but the tender was never issued. The municipality now plans direct renovations costing €5 million, starting in 2023, with structural consolidation, system upgrades, and window replacements. Culture Councillor Tommaso Sacchi stated the administration will restore the building and may later entrust it to cultural organizations.