Vico Equense beach turned private party sparks parliamentary inquiry

Vico Equense beach privatization parliamentary inquiry public access Maritime domain

On 28 July 2026 the public beach of Pezzolo in Vico Equense was closed and used for a private event that featured tables, décor, security personnel and an unsafe electrical hookup. Opposition municipal councillors – Maurizio Cinque, Luigi Cioffi, Francesca Esposito, Raffaele Giannico and Luigi Vanacore – denounced the move as an illegal privatization of state‑owned maritime land and filed an urgent council interrogation demanding answers from the municipality.

The controversy was taken to the national level when former environment minister Sergio Costa, together with M5S deputies Carmen Di Lauro and Gaetano Amato, submitted a parliamentary question to the ministers of infrastructure, interior and tourism. The query highlighted that the Pezzolo and Calcare‑alla‑Marina d’Aequa beaches are assets of the public maritime domain, protected by environmental and landscape regulations, and complained about a pattern of gate installations, restricted access and alleged abusive occupation along the Sorrentine coast. The parliamentary request seeks clarification on the legality of the private event and broader measures to guarantee free public access to the coastline.

Entities: Antonio Drago · Francesco Emilio Borrelli · Maurizio Cinque · Modica · Pezzolo beach · Sérgio Costa · Tino Antoci · Vico Equense

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] They stated that current conditions no longer allowed them to continue in the administration.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The mayor of Modica decided to dissolve the municipal executive to accelerate pending negotiations and improve governance.
[● 2 SOURCES] Their resignations were submitted via a joint note.
[● 2 SOURCES] They declined to join the new municipal executive after the mayor’s council reset.
[● 2 SOURCES] Antonio Drago and Tino Antoci resigned as assessors of Modica.
[● 2 SOURCES] They thanked the mayor and municipal staff for years of cooperation.