Here comes one of those pieces of news that you never want to give… Lo Spirit of Milan is forced to close. After over ten years of activity, the historic Milanese venue interrupts its programming following the expiration of the rental contract for the spaces that host it and the failure of the owners to grant an extension.
Hosted since 2015 inside the former Cristallerie Livellara factory, one of the most significant examples of recovery of industrial archeology in Milan in the heart of Bovisa, the Spirit de Milan it has established itself over the years as one of the main points of reference in the city's cultural panorama.
Thousands of concerts, shows, dancing evenings, meetings and events dedicated to live music and popular traditions have made it a unique cultural hub, loved by a vast and transversal community.
Because the Spirit de Milan is forced to close
Despite the discussions initiated and the solutions proposed to preserve the activity, the Spirit de Milan has always maintained a collaborative attitude, supporting all contractual obligations over the years and investing directly in the recovery and redevelopment of the spaces. Yesterday, however, the owners highlighted the lack of will to identify a shared path that would allow the project to continue, even in a transitory phase.
To tell the bitterness of the moment is Luca Locatellifounder of Spirit de Milan: “
We have done everything possible to find a shared solution that is advantageous for all parties involved, brought a convincing project and at the same time in recent years redeveloped a space that today seems destined to disappear under the rubble”.
Years of negotiations and a sale to a third party
The conclusion of this experience comes after years of attempts aimed at guaranteeing its continuity, on a path marked by obstacles of all kinds related to the ownership of the spaces. In June 2017 a 6 year + 6 year rental contract is signed. In December 2020, in the midst of the second lockdown, an eviction injunction was served by proxy, with the clear intention to sell the property occupied by the Spirit de Milan to a third party company. The place defends itself by asserting its reasons and the judge does not validate the eviction.
The ownership subsequently communicates that it does not wish to renew the contract for the additional 6 years envisaged, citing a complete renovation of the leased area. The matter is brought before a judge and conciliated. In the meantime, to encourage the continuity of the project and facilitate the sale of the property, the Spirit de Milan presents a first interlocutor interested in the purchase, a solid company active at a national level intent on maintaining the venue as its main activity. After months of talks, the owners are not continuing the negotiations.
More recently it Spirit identifies a second buyer, equally solid and determined, who after months of negotiations in April presents an agreed preliminary purchase agreement, to which however the property stops responding. In recent days it has emerged that the property already has negotiations at an advanced stage with another third party.
Thoughts to the 60 employees and the public
The closure of Spirit de Milan will mark the conclusion of an experience that has contributed significantly to the cultural and social life of Milan: a place that has managed to transform an abandoned industrial space into a lively, authentic and popular meeting point, in the noblest sense of the term.
“It's news that we hoped never to have to give, but above all not with these times and methods. We believed that we could arrive at a shared solution that would be advantageous for all parties involved. Our thoughts now are entirely with our 60 employees and with the people who have frequented us over the years and for whom we have become a bit of a home. To all those who have supported and loved the Spirit de Milan: thank you. You were the heart of this whole project. We hope to be able to give you news soon on how and where we can continue this adventure”continues Locatelli.
The closure of the Spirit de Milan marks the conclusion of an experience that contributed significantly to the cultural and social life of Milan: a place that was able to transform an abandoned industrial space into a lively, authentic and popular meeting point, in the noblest sense of the term.
“It's news that we hoped never to have to give, but above all not with these times and methods. We believed that we could arrive at a shared solution that would be advantageous for all parties involved. Our thoughts now are entirely with our 60 employees and with the people who have frequented us over the years and for whom we have become a bit of a home. To all those who have supported and loved the Spirit de Milan: thank you. You were the heart of this whole project. We hope to be able to give you news soon on how and where we can continue this adventure”continues Locatelli.
The story of Spirit de Milan it fits into a broader picture, that of the crisis of live music venues in Italy.
A topic that we addressed in our investigation into the real value of the live sector, where the record of one billion euros is counterbalanced by the closure of around half of the small clubs and clubs: music is worth a billion, but emerging artists play for free.
