Second seizure of La Scannella: illegal development and damage to the landscape.

The Guardia di Finanza (Financial Police) has once again placed the La Scannella Hotel, in the municipality of Forio, under a new precautionary seizure order, adding to those already executed in the past for serious violations of environmental and building regulations. This time, the charges are even more serious and concern a vast transformation project on the rocky cliff overlooking the sea, carried out—according to the prosecution—in complete disregard of the landscape and environmental regulations protecting the area.

According to investigations by the Naples Financial Police Air Section, coordinated by the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, the facility's managers allegedly carried out massive excavations into the bare rock, altering the natural topography of the Ischian coast to create tunnels, terraces, pools, and even artificial caves. This intervention, in addition to devastating the landscape, resulted in the discharge of waste material directly into the sea, causing the formation of underwater piles potentially dangerous for the marine ecosystem.

The order issued by the Preliminary Investigations Judge alleges a long list of crimes: illegal subdivision, unauthorized construction in a fully protected area, illegal occupation and construction on state-owned maritime property, construction of an illegal landfill, and, last but not least, the destruction of a landscape asset.

All charges are aggravated by the fact that the project was carried out in a natural setting of rare beauty and environmental value, subject to very stringent restrictions at both the municipal and regional levels. The site, in fact, is recognized for its high natural value and is subject to comprehensive landscape protection, precisely to preserve its integrity from invasive interventions such as the one at issue.

The Scannella case shines a spotlight on the delicate balance between tourism development and environmental protection on the island of Ischia, where—too often—the rush to develop the coast has resulted in unauthorized construction, landscape alterations, and irreversible environmental damage.

The hotel, already at the center of a previous investigation for building violations, was seized for the first time precisely for unauthorized work. This second seizure, however, signals a worrying escalation in the manner and scope of the renovations carried out, which appear to have exceeded all legal limits.

Authorities continue to investigate to determine any individual criminal liability, both among the facility's owners and among the technicians and professionals involved. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor's Office has reiterated its intention to proceed decisively against any form of attack on the island's environmental and landscape heritage.

The seized area will remain restricted until the investigation is concluded, while it remains unclear whether there will be further judicial developments or sanctions. This is yet another blow to the "green pearl" of the Gulf of Naples, which once again finds itself facing an assault on its territory.