Will it be the right time? The question is a must, given a “turbulent” past. For the moment, the certainty is that the Manduca nightclub will reopen its doors on Friday 10 May, starting from 10pm. The ballroom in via San Biagio a Petriolo, under the Indian bridge, will start again with new management which, we read in a note, will be based not only on the musical offering but also “on safety”: «Manduca will strive to guarantee a welcoming and professional environment, with particular attention to proximity to the surrounding community.”
To do this, new systems will be put in place. There is talk of a latest generation audio system “managed by a team of sound engineers”, for “precise control over the volume, which minimizes any acoustic interference for the neighbourhood”. Then the security chapter. An enhanced internal security service is planned, complete with video surveillance. Outside the venue, there will also be an “adequate number of parking attendants and stewards to ensure the safety and decorum of the surrounding areas”.
Furthermore, two staff will be active to regulate the traffic flow and prevent situations of congestion or disturbance in the adjacent residential area. “We will seek direct dialogue with residents to address any problems and find shared solutions”, says the new management of the nightclub, which will in fact open the doors to any social initiatives proposed by citizens. Always from a safety perspective, the venue will introduce evenings dedicated to the younger crowd without serving alcohol. Alcohol which was one of the critical issues of the old Manduca.
The residents’ response soon arrived: «The citizens of district 5 (Barco-Peretola-Rifredi) express the deepest concern (and also great anger) for the unexpected release of authorization for the reopening of the Manduca restaurant, a restaurant that had been closed by order of the Prefecture and with the revocation final license from the Municipality for a series of disturbances, violence, very annoying noises (and music) until the early hours of the morning, with crowding often exceeding the limits established by the
safety regulations. We fought for 15 years to ensure that our right to live and sleep in peace was respected and now, after 4 years of closure come back more
dangerous and threatening than ever for our health the nightmare of
presence of a terrible attractor of violence and disorder that it does not have
the same”.
In the September 2021 the nightclub’s license was suspended for a week precisely because of its abuse: a 17-year-old fainted on the dance floor, ending up in hospital in an alcohol coma after a flurry of drinks. The security of the place justified itself by saying that the minor would have used the green pass of his older brother, over 18, to be able to evade the checks at the counter. Just one of many episodes.
In May 2018 Palazzo Vecchio revoked the authorization of the then owners after a brawl. A bouncer was reported by the police for serious bodily harm after having severely beaten a young man until he broke his jaw – 30 days of prognosis – and made him lose consciousness. After that, he dragged him tens of meters from the entrance, abandoning him under the Indian bridge. Despite an appeal to the TAR by the managers, the judges rejected the request and highlighted how there was “a situation of continuing danger” at Manduca.
Again, in February 2018, a police car had intervened at the request of two customers, minors, who said they had been beaten by a security guard. Stessa what the July 22, 2017, with two customers who had also declared to the police that they had been beaten by a bouncer. A few days earlier, on July 13th, another customer had told the flying squad agents that he had been hit in the face by a security man.
In July 2015 the nightclub had already suffered a 15-day stop, after a customer was attacked without security intervening or contacting law enforcement. The same place had also faced more serious sanctions. In September 2016 he had been subjected to preventive seizure due to the music being too loud. And loud music was one of the problems reported several times by residents, who had turned to the Municipality and the police station.
In 2014, Manduca had already been at the center of legal events. The then police commissioner Raffaele Micillo had closed it for reasons of public order. In that occasion, one of the partners, at the end of a fight, was reported for resisting a public official. The man had attacked a bodyguard, attacking him with racist insults and spraying him with deodorant.
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