Porto di Legnago: former Orange gym to become Islamic cultural centre —

Porto di Legnago: former gym set to host new Islamic cultural centre

The Al Wifaq association, active locally for nearly twenty years, has initiated the process to transform the former Orange gym in Porto di Legnago into its new Islamic cultural centre. The plan, still preliminary, seeks to reconcile freedom of worship with compliance with urban planning and safety regulations.

Project leaders say renovation and compliance works will require time and investment: "The move will not be immediate — at least two years are needed for restoration and to bring the facility up to standard," says Yahya Benhida, project manager. The association currently registers about seventy families and aims for the new site to serve a wider area, including neighbouring municipalities.

Mayor Paolo Longhi emphasized the legal framework: "Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the Constitution. At the same time, freedom of worship is not a shortcut to bypass rules: compliance must apply to everyone." The municipality announced technical checks on urban conformity, building permits, safety and crowd management.

Key elements of the proposal include:

• building rehabilitation and systems upgrades;
• spaces for prayer, cultural and educational activities;
• programmes such as language courses, educational initiatives and community events open to the wider population;
• a portion of the building allocated to commercial use to financially support the project.

While the new site is being prepared, the association uses temporary solutions for religious celebrations, incurring significant costs for provisional structures. The Porto project aims to provide a stable venue that supports religious practice as well as cultural and social activities for the territory.

The announcement prompted mixed reactions locally: interest and support alongside concerns about traffic and crowd management. The municipality calls for technical dialogue and assessment to evaluate impacts and ensure coexistence in compliance with rules and safety standards.

Next steps: further technical studies, permit procedures and a work plan estimated at around two years before a potential relocation.