Legal Battle Erupts Over Baia Donn’Anna Beach Concessions in Naples
Naples, June 2 – A heated legal dispute has emerged in Naples concerning the allocation of beach concessions for two lots at Baia Donn’Anna beach and an adjacent lot near the Monache free beach. The tender commission, convened yesterday at the Naples Port Authority, has excluded two key competitors: Blu Beach spa and Even More. Both companies have promptly announced their intention to appeal these decisions to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR).
Exclusion of Blu Beach spa and Even More
Blu Beach spa, a joint-stock company established just over a year ago with ambitions to acquire beach establishments across Italy, was vying for one of the two Baia Donn’Anna lots, challenging Bagno Elena, the long-standing operator of that section of the beach. The tender commission, chaired by lawyer Antonio Tisci, disqualified Blu Beach for submitting only a draft document regarding its organizational and management model. This deficiency was deemed by the commissioners to be non-rectifiable, even through the ‘soccorso istruttorio’ (remedial procedure).
As a result, Bagno Elena, managed by Mario Morra, is now poised to secure one of the two lots for Baia Donn’Anna as the sole remaining bidder, barring any further unforeseen developments.
For the second lot of Baia Donn’Anna, the competition initially included Edoardo Trotta, owner of Palazzo Petrucci, who has long sought to establish a lido on the beachfront facing his property, and Bagno Ideal, which has operated the non-conceded part of Baia Donn’Anna beach for many years. Trotta’s bid was submitted through his company, Even More, which has also been excluded from the tender. The commission cited Even More’s failure to submit a self-declaration related to a specific model, a lacuna again deemed non-rectifiable. Consequently, Bagno Ideal is now the sole remaining contender for the second Baia Donn’Anna lot.
Appeals to the TAR and Historical Context
Even More, however, is far from resigned. Lawyer Gianluca Lemmo, representing Trotta, has already filed an appeal with the TAR, seeking a suspension of the exclusion. Approximately a year ago, Even More successfully challenged the extension of Bagno Elena’s concession through both the TAR and the Council of State, a move that compelled the Port Authority to issue the current tender.
While Blu Beach has not yet commented on its exclusion, it is widely anticipated that the company will also challenge the commission’s decision before the administrative courts.
Remaining Bidders for Monache Beach and Broader Context
For the beach adjacent to the Monache lido, also near Palazzo Donn’Anna, both original competitors remain in the running, pending further developments. These are Bagno Sirena, which has managed the area for many years, and Grandi Alberghi Romeo. The latter is a company with a share capital of one million euros, chaired by Alfredo Romeo, an entrepreneur whose home overlooks Monache beach, with Diego Romeo serving as a director.
The tender for these Posillipo lido concessions was initially launched by the Port Authority at the end of last summer. However, the initial call for bids was subsequently annulled and modified based on an opinion from the Antitrust Authority. The revised tender closed at the end of January, attracting eight bidders. One, Max Mare Service, was immediately excluded for failing to specify the lot for which it intended to bid. Gmc srls was later disqualified due to missing self-declarations. The current tender involves the award of a two-year concession.
This ongoing legal saga underscores the intense competition and complex regulatory landscape surrounding beach concessions in Naples, a vital economic and recreational asset for the city.
