Cori, Italy – A legal battle is brewing over an illegally constructed villa in teh industrial area of Cori, with a hearing scheduled for February 9, 2026, before the Regional Administrative Court (TAR). The case, brought by the villa’s owner alongside the President of the Cori City Council, seeks to overturn a demolition order issued after the structure replaced a previously authorized factory.
Contentious Construction and a Delayed Response
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The dispute centers on allegations of building code violations and potential conflicts of interest within the local government.
- The Administrative Court has questioned the legitimacy of a building commission that was never formally established.
- The Regional Administrative Court criticized the Municipal Authority for submitting late documentation lacking crucial details.
- Opposition councilors allege a lack of openness and potential favoritism in the handling of the building permits and subsequent investigations.
The core of the issue lies in whether the construction constitutes a complete disregard for building regulations, carried out without the necessary authorizations. The Administrative Court has demanded that municipal offices provide a “reasoned position” on the extent of the violations. This demand follows a scathing critique from the Regional Administrative Court last September, which deemed a submitted report “lacking attachments” and “not adequately clear as to the conclusions reached.”
The initial project, submitted in 2008, was in the name of an existing artisan company owned by the Prime Minister’s father-in-law. Six years passed with little progress,and in 2014,a revised application was filed for productive use,but solely in the name of a relative of the President who practiced a different profession. Furthermore, the artisan activity upon which the original construction request was based ceased in 2011, and the company was removed from the business register. This cessation, according to critics, invalidated any remaining requirements for obtaining building permits.
The construction on the property involved the Prime Minister’s family, which was initially authorized for carpentry. Concurrently, the Productive Activities Office, overseen by the President of the City Council since 2017, failed to verify the existence of the company listed on the project application.
A lack of Oversight and Public Outcry
Political oversight of these processes appears to have been absent, starting with the mayor at the time, who also held the urban planning delegation until 2017, when it was transferred to councilor Elisa Massotti under mayor De Lillis.Minority councilors had requested clarification and an inspection of the property to comply with the TAR’s request for a “reasoned position,” but their calls have gone unanswered.
The opposition believes the Urban Planning Office is attempting to obscure the truth by claiming to evaluate the confiscation of assets ruled on in the criminal proceedings. A prosperous confiscation, they argue, would set a precedent for addressing numerous othre cases of illegal construction within the municipality. Data on the total number of building violations in Cori have never been released, despite a commitment from the head of urban planning to the Transparency Commission in June 2025, and these violations were allegedly never reported to the Prefecture as required.
what is the extent of the building abuse in Cori? The administrative justice system, having previously criticized the institution for its reticence, now holds the key to determining the true nature of the violations, as already justified in the criminal confiscation sentence.
Citizens of Cori and Giulianello are reportedly outraged by what they perceive as irresponsible management of the urban planning sector, prioritizing private interests over collective ones. This extends beyond the illegal construction to include a controversial residential project within the Protected Village,which involved a questionable revision to the master plan. These issues are eroding public trust in the political class.
Critics argue that the President of the City Council should have resigned given the conflict of interest involving a direct relative. When a motion to revoke the office was brought before the Council, it was defended by the De Lillis majority, while protests erupted in the streets.The situation leaves many questioning the integrity of local governance.
