Redevelopment of the former Civis buildings in front of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Officina Pasolini

In March 2022, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AICS (the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation), the Lazio Region, Agenzia del Demanio (the Italian State Property Agency), Sport e Salute SpA and the Superintendency for Public Works signed an "Agreement" on the redevelopment of the former Civis complex, consisting of two buildings located between Piazzale della Farnesina and Lungotevere Maresciallo Giardino in Rome.

The objective of the agreement, which at the time was promoted by the Zingaretti council and the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio, is the redevelopment of a large state-owned space, now underused and dilapidated, and the construction of a permanent headquarters for the Cooperation Agency.

At present, the spaces of the former Civis complex house Officina Pasolini, an artistic training workshop financed by the Lazio Region.

Until a few years ago, the same spaces also housed some student accommodation, which was later closed due to the non-compliance of the premises with health and safety regulations. In 2022, the Lazio Region stated that rehabilitating the 100-odd (not 400) lodgings available at the time would not have been economical or convenient, not least because, with the new regulations in the former Civis building, a maximum of 80 lodgings would have been possible.

A number of media have addressed the issue in recent days. The first clarification to be made is that not only will Officina Pasolini not lose the possibility of working in the complex in which it operates, but it will be able to work in a new, more modern and functional space, and it will have greater visibility and centrality also thanks to the redevelopment of the area. The same Agreement of March 2022 stipulates that the Officina cannot be moved from its current location until the completion of its new premises within one of the two buildings.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also be able to return to use the reclaimed and renovated premises as the headquarters of the Agency for Cooperation, which today is rented out a few kilometres from Piazzale della Farnesina. This is also why Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Tajani maintains that the entire project should be pursued, also taking into account any new needs that may still arise. The entire project is an important opportunity for the City of Rome to redevelop a vast area that is actually integrated with Foro Italico - which boasts a prominent profile for the attention it receives at international events (Olympic Stadium area) and for its architectural characterisation.