Lucera administration revokes street names following controversy

The municipal administration of Lucera, led by Mayor Giuseppe Pitta, has partially revoked a recent decision to name 27 streets and public spaces after various historical figures. The move follows intense political backlash regarding the inclusion of Giorgio Almirante, a former leader of the Movimento Sociale Italiano, in the original plan.

In a new resolution passed on October 30, the council removed seven names from the list: Giorgio Almirante, Enrico Berlinguer, Amintore Fanfani, Enrico Mattei, Mario Di Gioia, Roberto Paolucci, and Rachele Sinisi. While some removals were attributed to the ten-year rule following a person's death, the administration stated that the remaining names require further evaluation by a newly formed Toponymy Commission.

The controversy sparked significant debate among local political groups, including Più Sinistra and Sinistra Italiana, as well as ANPI. Critics argued that naming a street after Almirante, a figure associated with the Italian Social Republic and the racial laws, was an affront to the country's anti-fascist constitutional values. The decision to also revoke names of democratic figures like Berlinguer led to further criticism from political opponents who viewed the mass revocation as an attempt to avoid political friction.