The curtain falls on Sonrisa, a final halt from the Council of State: the "Castello" loses its licenses.

Naples – The curtain will likely fall on the long and lavish saga of the "Castle of Ceremonies." The Seventh Section of the Council of State has rejected the appeal filed by the owners of the Grand Hotel La Sonrisa in Sant'Antonio Abate (Naples), definitively upholding the revocation of the hotel and restaurant licenses.

The ruling grants full formal legitimacy to the actions by which the Municipality, led by Mayor Ilaria Abagnale, withdrew business permits. The reasoning of the second-instance judges is straightforward and leaves no room for interpretation: administrative permits for hotels and restaurants cannot coexist with serious and manifest urban planning irregularities, especially where definitive confiscation has occurred for illegal subdivision.

From the myth of Don Antonio to the confiscation

The legal case surrounding Sonrisa has its roots in over thirty years of disputes. The illegal construction identified by authorities on the 40-square-meter property began, according to judicial records, as early as 1989 under the aegis of founder Antonio Polese—TV's long-time and late "Boss of Ceremonies"—and continued until 2011, the year of the first seizure.

Originally a rural building, the area underwent a radical transformation over time, deemed lacking the appropriate permits. Despite the initial partial demolitions already carried out in 2010 (including an attic and ten bedrooms), the criminal proceedings continued, ultimately securing the property's final seizure. The Court of Cassation ruled final, making the Municipality the actual owner of the structure.

The latest administrative clash and the fate of the workers

The immediate revocation of the licenses by the Municipality was initially challenged by the Polese family, now led by their daughter Donna Imma and her husband Matteo Giordano. Just a month ago, in mid-May, the Council of State granted an emergency temporary suspension specifically to "ensure the continuation of economic activities" and protect the banquets already booked, as well as the dozens of employees employed at the establishment.

The hearing on the merits, however, resolved the reservations, confirming the restrictive approach previously outlined by the Campania Regional Administrative Court. With this ruling, Sonrisa loses the right to host events or receive clients, leaving an entire industry of workers and suppliers, who for years have revolved around lavish weddings and Real Time television schedules, in extreme uncertainty.