Extortion, electoral corruption, and irregularities in public contracts in Cotronei: mayor, former officials, municipal employees, and entrepreneurs under investigation in the failed Rock Museum cultural project.
A project that could have brought the name of Steven Tyler, legendary frontman of the Aerosmith, to the heart of the Sila mountains. An international musical dream, capable of transforming Palazzo Bevilacqua, in the historic center of Cotronei, into a place dedicated to rock and the beauty of the territory.
An ambitious idea, backed by €1.3 million in regional funds, promising a museum, events, and even the presence of Tyler and his daughter Liv Tyler at the inauguration with a free concert.
But today that dream intersects with a bitter chapter.
The artist’s cease-and-desist—concerned about the use of his name for a project that never launched—has become a central issue in the investigation. According to investigators, public documents were allegedly falsely drafted to certify the expropriation of Palazzo Bevilacqua, which was never actually acquired by the municipality. A supposed administrative workaround to avoid losing the funding.
And from this point, the judicial saga shaking Cotronei takes shape.
The investigation: 15 people involved, from officials to entrepreneurs
The Prosecutor’s Office of Crotone issued 15 notices of investigation in the case of the failed project. Those under investigation include the current mayor of Cotronei, Antonio Ammirati, former mayor Nicola Belcastro, municipal employees, and entrepreneurs.
The alleged crimes—still to be proven in court—range from aggravated fraud for public funding to falsification of documents, as well as electoral corruption, extortion, and undue pressure.
The investigation by the Carabinieri, lasting over three years, describes an administrative management that authorities consider marked by undue pressure, “false institutional communications,” and irregular procedures. Among these, the so-called “administrative lie” concerning the historic palace: an act that would have ensured continued funding despite the lack of real prerequisites.
Culture, territory, and responsibility
The story of the unbuilt “Rock Music Village – Steven Tyler” opens a deep reflection:
how can Calabria preserve its artistic, musical, and scenic vocation if bureaucracy and politics, when they stray, risk turning opportunities into lost chances?
A project conceived to enhance the territory, attract cultural tourism, and showcase a Calabria capable of embracing international art has instead become a symbol of what could have been but was not.
And while justice follows its course, the desire remains—strong and necessary—to see the region starring in positive narratives: places that breathe music, young people building culture, clean investments creating beauty, work, and future.
Because the Calabria we love is the one that plays, creates, welcomes, and dares to dream big.
Article also available in Italian: “Borgo della Musica Rock”: la diffida di Steven Tyler e le ombre sull’opera mai nata
