Catania inaugurates youth center in former mafia-owned property

A new youth aggregation and educational center, named Spazio Lab 2.0, has been inaugurated in the Vaccarizzo district of Catania. The facility was repurposed from a property previously confiscated from the Santapaola crime clan in 1989.

Funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) with investments totaling approximately 250,000 to 282,600 euros, the project involved the complete recovery and equipping of a 176-square-meter building. The site includes a swimming pool and over 500 square meters of outdoor space.

The center aims to combat social distress and promote inclusion for minors by offering cultural, sporting, and educational activities outside of school hours. Extraordinary Commissioner Paola Spena noted that the initiative transforms a former symbol of criminal power into a tool for promoting legality, equality, and solidarity in peripheral neighborhoods.