Florence court ruling paves the way for recovery of former Le Mulina site in the Cascine

A regional administrative court has upheld the decision by the Municipality of Florence to revoke the concession for the former Le Mulina racecourse, a large complex inside the Cascine park that has been unused and deteriorating for years. The ruling removes a major legal obstacle and could allow the city to begin work on bringing the area back into public use.

The decision was issued by the third section of the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) of Tuscany, which rejected an appeal filed by the company against the municipality’s decision last May to terminate the concession agreement for the site.

According to the judges, the city’s decision was justified by several serious breaches of the concession terms. The court described the revocation as a “multi-reasoned act”, concluding that all the failures identified by the municipality were significant enough to support the termination of the concession.

The dispute concerns the former Le Mulina racecourse complex, located within the Cascine, Florence’s largest public park along the Arno river on the western side of the city. The site has been largely unused for years and has gradually fallen into a state of neglect.

In their ruling, the judges reconstructed the timeline of the concession. They noted that the property had been handed over to the concessionaire free of occupants in July 2018, meaning that from that point the company was required to fulfil the obligations set out in the agreement.

One of the most serious issues identified by the court was the failure to present a redevelopment plan to the state heritage authority, the Soprintendenza, which oversees protected historic properties. The judges noted that from 2016 until April 2024 the company carried out no significant work to finalise the required plan, which was a key condition of the concession.

The ruling also highlighted problems related to maintenance and security at the site. According to documents and inspections by the municipal police, the concessionaire did not carry out adequate maintenance or safety work, allowing repeated occupations of the complex by homeless people and contributing to further deterioration.

Another breach concerned the payment of the concession fee, which the court said should have been paid continuously from July 2018 onwards.

The municipality welcomed the ruling, saying it confirms the legality of the decision to terminate the concession and allows the administration to move ahead with plans for the area.

The former racecourse occupies a significant section of the Cascine park, a historic green space used daily by residents for sports, walking and public events. City officials say the goal is to recover the abandoned complex and return it to public use after many years of inactivity.

The ruling strengthens the municipality’s position as it prepares the next steps for the site. City officials have said they want the former racecourse to become a safe and accessible area for residents, though detailed plans for its future use have not yet been announced.

For Florence, the decision could mark the beginning of a long-awaited redevelopment of one of the largest unused areas within the Cascine park.

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