Castellammare, the former Salesian monastery sold to a Chinese company: citizens' and council's appeals remain unknown.
Thousands of signatures and a motion filed with the City Council to save it went unheeded: after four auctions, the complex ended up in the hands of a Naples-based lighting company, while the risk of speculation looms over this iconic Salesian site.
The former Salesian complex in Castellammare di Stabia, a historic educational and sports center on the Scanzano hill overlooking the Gulf of Naples, has been acquired by a Chinese company headquartered in Naples, specializing in the wholesale of lighting and electrical equipment.
The facility, built in 1965 and later passed to the Ras Foundation, hosted for decades children's activities, conferences, wedding ceremonies, and youth shelters away from the dangers of the Scanzano neighborhood, a stronghold of the D'Alessandro clan, modeled after Don Bosco's Salesian house—the first Salesian house opened in Southern Italy in the late 19th century.
The citizens' battle and the contested auction
Thousands of residents of Castellammare di Stabia signed a petition launched by the website Lo Scaffale to keep it public, with a starting bid of €3,5 million and a minimum price of €2,6 million; after four failed attempts, the value dropped dramatically.
In March 2025, the city councilors of “Popular Base-Democrats and Progressives” presented a motion in the city council, also signed by other councilors, asking the Municipality to acquire it to transform it into a “Citadel of Wellbeing,” a hotel institute, university faculties, or social spaces against “unscrupulous private individuals or criminal powers.”
The appeal, which was also repeated for regional intervention, went unheeded: no response from the Municipality or the Campania Region, leaving the complex—10 square meters with sports fields, an auditorium, and a church—uncertain.
In Castellammare di Stabia, the battle for enforcement of public land rules has resumed. After the Christmas holidays, the municipal police have begun a new phase of inspections aimed at restoring urban decorum. On the morning of Friday, February 6th, officers combed Via Roma, fining five businesses for illegally displaying...
Sorrento – The nervousness of a 45-year-old man from Castellammare di Stabia, who was arrested yesterday evening on charges of possession with intent to distribute narcotics, did not go unnoticed. The operation was conducted by officers from the Sorrento Police Station, who were engaged in routine patrols along the main roads of the city.
In Torre Annunziata, the local port is a priority for the Campania Regional Council. Thanks to €34 million—€26,9 million from the Ministry of Infrastructure with CAP funds and €6,9 million in European resources obtained by the municipality—expansion and modernization works will begin. A bitter confrontation for Castellammare. This turning point…
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's truly a shame that such an important facility was sold to a foreign company. The citizens deserved more attention and a listening ear to their appeals. I hope there will be positive developments in the future.