Cheap,
Hip, and Not a Tourist in Sight:
Raise Your Consciousness While Having Fun
at Italy's Social Centers
One
of the most difficult aspects of traveling to different countries is finding alternative
(i.e. cool) venues for nighttime entertainment. The must see sights of a tourist's
day are often easy to agree upon, especially in a country so steeped in tradition
as Italy.
When visiting Rome (at least if this is one's first trip), most
every one will want to see the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Vatican. But finding
memorable nightlife can be much more elusive. It stands to reason that we "outsiders"
are not going to be aware of the more underground, locally charged music scene
and or cultural events (after all these types of establishments are in way reliant
or influenced by the tourist dollar). So, when visiting Italy, one's best bet
into the inside track of alternative, socially conscious nightlife is the Italian
Social Center.
Social Centers are essentially squats (i.e. abandoned buildings
taken over by individuals or groups) occupied for residential, political, or cultural
reasons. Frequented by the young, politically conscious, artistic, or musically
oriented, they can be great places to meet locals, enjoy cheap entertainment,
and become acquainted with others who have similar political and/or cultural interests
(or perhaps not so similar interests). Usually located on the outskirts of the
city, the social centers range in activity and focus: some are more politically
charged, while others also act as music venues and bars.
The
latter are of more interest to nonresidents like myself, who may be sympathetic
to the cause, but really are just looking for some cheap wine and a place to hear
decent underground music. Since there are literally hundreds of social centers
in Italy, this is an extremely brief description of some of the major ones, and
is only intended to give the reader a brief depiction of the types of events occurring
a regular basis.
Hundreds of social centers exist in Italy, Rome having
more than it's fair share. One of the oldest and most famous is Forte Prenestino
(located on via Delpino) web address: www.ecn.org/forte/.
After paying a small donation (5000 Lire) to get in, you can see local
and international djs spinning reggae, techno, jungle, and the very popular, drum
n bass. I went on a Sunday night and found the stage full of live hardcore and
alternative bands from America and the UK. The show was well attended, with the
crowds being a good mix of young punks and older alternative music fans looking
for decent music, cheap beer and wine, and the satisfaction of knowing they aren't
over the hill when it comes to musical tastes.
Forte Prenestino, like
so many other social centers, has such a wide community of activists and organized
activities (including yoga, African dance classes, and it's own record label),
that crowds tend to overlap somewhat for the different events, so the crowds for
the shows are some of the most diverse I've seen. It's the perfect environment
to meet friendly, interesting, and energetic locals.
The
chance that your trip to Rome coincides with a live show is fairly high, since
many US and European bands play the Italian social center circuit when touring
the world. Even if you are not interested in the nightlife, a day visit to this
social center would be time well spent, as the building is a medieval castle complete
with a real fort, including a dry moat and maze of tunnels. Squatters took over
the former military base on May 1, 1986, and since then have built almost an entire
cultural civic center on its grounds.
Also popular in Rome is the Villaggio
Globale (located on Lungotevere Testaccio) This active social center is housed
in a former slaughterhouse (remember…the residents don't pay rent, as they are
taking over abandoned, i.e. unwanted buildings). Villaggio Globale is located
in South central Rome, generally concerned to be the place for happening nightlife.
Villaggio Globale hosts many concerts, especially in the summer. Brancelaleone
(located on Via Levanna,11) has a host of activities on it's calendar: a cinema,
a recording studio, a live dj, and a good bar for relaxing, drinking, and resting
one's feet after sightseeing all day.
Another well known and active social center, Centro Popolare Autogestito Firenze
Sud, or CPA Fi-Sud, is located in Florence. This is an extremely large and active
squat, encompassing a stage for reggae, ska, and alternative bands, known as the
Spaceship, but also hosting techno and dance nights. CPA should really be thought
of as an arts and cultural center, since it also runs a gym, a cinema, a library,
a skate park, a theatre, and a cheap eatery. Interestingly, the CPA has founded
a homeless shelter for non-EC citizens, illustrating one of the major reasons
most social centers are formed: to help promote and foster social change and movements
working towards justice and inequality.
So, when in Italy, why not have
a few drinks, enjoy some cutting edge music, avoid obnoxious touristy discos,
and help support the locals advocating for political rights and cultural awareness?
It's cheap, fun, and gives a much better insight into the life of Italians than
any overpriced nightspot close to your hotel or hostel.
If you have an
especially good time, it's probably a good idea (although definitely not required)
to donate some extra Lire to help their cause, show your support, and let the
residents and/ or organizers know you appreciate their hospitality (show off your
good manners!) For an updated list of events at the social centers in Rome, buy
a copy of Il Manifesto, available at local newsstands. For websites containing
lists of social centers throughout Italy, try: www.ecn.org,
www.tmcrew.org, or www.sthink.com/scene/squat.htm.
Kay Bozich-Owens
Chapel
Hill, N.C. USA
