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    ‘Put Back Our Arches’ – La Lotta per Il Forum Italiano

    20 years on, Leichhardt's Italian Forum hangs in the balance.
    By Mae MilneMay 2, 2022 Multilingual 7 Mins Read
    The Italian Forum, 2000, Quentin Jones, SMH
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    “Vivace, dinamico e italiano.”

    Ecco gli aggettivi che vent’anni fa definivano meglio il Forum Italiano a Leichhardt. Nascosto su Norton St, il Forum è ispirato a una piazza italiana, ed era il cuore del quartiere italiano. Con logge, ristoranti e negozi italiani, sembrava veramente parte del Bel Paese. 

    Tuttavia, sin dalla sua concezione nel 1988, il Forum ha dovuto affrontare vari problemi. Sebbene la maggior parte del terreno del Forum fosse donato dal Premier di NSW, Neville Wran, la comunità italiana ha dovuto aspettare tre anni prima di trovare un developer adatto. Poi, quando il Forum è stato aperto nel 1999, certi membri della comunità italiana si lamentavano che l’edificio fosse troppo superficiale e che non rappresentasse la vera esperienza degli italo-australiani. Cosa faceva nel mezzo di Sydney una piazza toscana del XVI secolo? 

    Ciononostante, all’inizio il Forum ha raggiunto un grande successo commerciale. Con 22 negozi, 12 ristoranti, ed una grande piazza centrale, tutti ci venivano per immergersi nella cultura italiana. Poi, quando il sole tramontava, la piazza si riempiva di gente che visitava i ristoranti italiani e si godeva quest’atmosfera magica. Durante la settimana, ci venivano anche gruppi di scuola per imparare della migrazione italiana a Sydney. Il Forum era davvero un nesso bellissimo tra la cultura italiana e quella australiana. 

    Tuttavia, oggigiorno il Forum ha assunto un colore diverso. I negozi si sono svuotati, e sono stati sostituiti da uffici. I ristoranti hanno chiuso, il traffico perdonale è sempre basso e, per completare il tutto, recentemente (dopo tre anni di discussioni) hanno tolto gli archi del Forum, cambiando drasticamente la faccia dell’edificio e facendo arrabbiare sia residenti che negozianti. 

    Gli archi, li hanno tolti perchè erano fatti di polistirolo, un materiale infiammabile. Però, ci dice Maria Saraceno, la fiera proprietaria del negozio “The Merchant of Venice”, sono stati tolti senza alcun piano di rimetterli a posto, e adesso l’amministrazione vuole ammodernare l’edificio. 

    “Si renderebbe più moderno il Colosseo? Si renderebbe più moderno il teatro dell’opera?” risponde Maria a questa proposta. “Questo non è una modernizzazione, è una demolizione. Hanno distrutto l’edificio e l’hanno dipinto come una trapunta patchwork… Io sono qui di 21 anni, sono la proprietaria di due negozi, e non sono stata mai chiesta se gli archi dovessero essere rimossi… Chiedo soltanto di avere una voce”.

    “Oltre a ciò, tre anni fa”, continua Maria, “prima della pandemia, i nostri strati sono stati aumentati del 273% per i riparazioni del Forum. Quel denaro non è stato utilizzato. Gli ho dato $60.000, e dopo due anni della pandemia non hanno fatto niente… Il prossimo mese ci sarà un incontro sul futuro del Forum. Ma io voglio che l’edificio assomigli a quello che ho acquistato”. 

    Ernesto Meduri, propritario di “Itasport Activewear”, inizialmente aveva lo stesso parare di Maria. Era arrabbiato che questi archi belli fossero stati tolti, e voleva che fossero rimessi ai loro posti. Tuttavia, adesso lui è meno contrario. Ci racconta che il 9 maggio, ci sarà un incontro in cui i nuovi disegni per il Forum verranno mostrati. “Vediamo i disegni, e poi decidiamo”, ci ha detto. 

    Tuttavia, entrambi proprietari sono d’accordo col fatto che il problema del Forum non è l’edificio se stesso, ma cosa ci si offre. “Questo luogo dovrebbe essere un centro commerciale con negozi, non ha bisogno di uffici o di negozi chiusi… Non è un centro per uffici,” ha detto Ernesto. 

    Allora, cosa serve per rinvigorire il Forum? Secondo Maria, ci vogliono ristoranti. “I ristoranti sono il fattore più importante per ridare a vita il Forum. Questo è la cosa più importante, ed è quella che non comprende il comitato commerciale. Serve soltanto un ristorante con un nome, e il resto seguiranno”. 

    Con una popolazione italiana in diminuzione, chissà se il Forum riuscirà a tornare ai suoi tempi d’oro. Tuttavia, la passione di negozianti come Ernesto e Maria danno speranza al futuro del Forum. 


    ‘Put Back Our Arches’ – The fight for the Italian Forum 

    20 years ago, the Italian Forum in Leichhardt was best described as vibrant, dynamic and very Italian. Hidden just off Norton Street, the Forum is a building inspired by an italia  “piazza” or town square, and was the heart of the Italian community in Leichhardt. With open galleries, restaurants and Italian shops, it seemed truly part of the “Bel Paese” – the beautiful country.

    However, since its conception in 1988, the Forum has been mired by troubles. Even though most of the land was donated by the Premier of NSW, Neville Wran, the Italian community had to wait three years before finding an appropriate developer. Then, when the Forum was finally opened in 1999, it was met with complaints that the building was too superficial, and that it did not represent the true experience of Italo-Australians. What was a Tuscan plaza from the 16th century doing in the centre of Sydney? 

    Nonetheless, the Forum initially enjoyed great commercial success, with 22 shops, 12 restaurants and a large central piazza. Everyone came from everywhere to immerse themselves in the italian atmosphere. As the sun set, the square filled with people and chatter, alighting the square with a magical energy. The spot was also a popular destination for school excursions, as during the week children came to learn about the history of italian migration. The Forum was truly a beautiful nexus of Italian and Australian cultures. 

    However, in recent years, the Forum has taken on a different colour. The shops have emptied  and been replaced by offices. Restaurants have closed, foot traffic is at an all time low, and, to top it all off, recently (after three years of discussions) management have taken down the Forum’s iconic arches, drastically changing the face of the building and angering both residents and shop-owners. 

    The arches were taken down because they were made out of polystyrene, a flammable material. However, Maria Saraceno, the proud proprietor of the shop “The Merchant of Venice”, tells us that they were taken down without any plan to put them back, and that now, management is developing plans to modernise the building.  

    “Would you modernise the Colosseum? Would you modernise the Opera House?”, responds Maria to these proposals. “This is not a modernisation, it is a demolition. They destroyed the building and they have painted it like a patchwork quilt…  I have been here for 21 years, I am the owner of two shops here, and I was never asked if the arches should be taken down… All I’m asking for is to have a voice.”

    “Three years ago”, continues Maria, “before the pandemic, our strata increased by 273% for reparation work. This money has not been used. I gave them $60,000, and after 2 years of the pandemic, it is still sitting in the account. Next month there will be a meeting about the modernisation of the Forum. But I just want the building to look like what it did when I bought it.” 

    Ernesto Meduri, owner of Itasport Activewear, initially shared the same opinions as Maria. He was frustrated that these beautiful arches had been taken down, and wanted them to be replaced. Nowadays, he has a more open mind. He tells us that on the 9th of May, there will be a meeting where designs for the future of the Forum will be shown. “I’ll see the designs, and then I’ll decide,” he says. 

    Nonetheless, both shop-owners are in agreement over the fact that the problem with the Forum is not the building itself, but rather what it’s got on offer. “This place should be a retail shopping centre, it shouldn’t be filled with offices and closed shops”, says Ernesto. 

    But if the problem isn’t with the building, what can be done to save the Forum? The most important thing, according to Maria, is reopening restaurants on the ground floor. “Restaurants are the most important factor to bring the Forum back to life. That is the most important thing, and this is what the commercial committee do not understand. There only needs to be one restaurant with a name, and the rest will follow.”

    As the Italian population in Leichhardt continues to dwindle, it’s easy to dismiss the future potential of the Italian Forum. However, the passion of shop-owners like Ernesto and Maria give hope to the future of the Forum.

    Italian leichhardt

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