CSOA Forte Prenestino, Social Center in Centocelle

Forte Prenestino, the Occupied Self-Managed Social Center (C.S.O.A.), is a 19th-century fort on Via Federico Delpino, in the Centocelle neighborhood of Rome, turned for 40 years into a space for concerts, workshops, radio, film and a market. There is no general opening time: each event has its own program, and the official website lists the individual events. The winter concert series in the SalaConcerti is free.

The fort takes up a very large area and hosts many activities, and this text mainly describes what is done there: live music, festivals, courses, a farmers' market, radio. Data checked on October 19, 2026 on the website and official channels of Forte Prenestino.

In Brief: Address, Evenings, Entry

• Address: Via Federico Delpino, 00171 Rome, Centocelle. The street number is not published on the website.
• What it is: an occupied, self-managed social center since May 1, 1986, inside a fort built between 1880 and 1884.
• Evenings or programming: concerts in the SalaConcerti, festivals, film, terra/TERRA market on the third Sunday of every month.
• Entry: not published in general terms. The SONA series is declared «No Cover, No Dj, No Playback».
• How to get there: public transit not published. You can use the ATAC route calculator.
• Official contacts: website forteprenestino.net, Contacts page and newsletter.

What Forte Prenestino Is and What You Can Hear There

The SalaConcerti is the musical heart of the fort. The winter series SONA! Come meglio credi brings 14 concerts from November 6, 2026 to March 5, 2027, with more than 30 bands and the tagline «No Cover, No Dj, No Playback». The opening night has Meatdogs, Apoptosi and Bloody Riot on stage. The website describes the events as Wednesday evenings, but November 6 and March 5 fall on a Friday: the full calendar is on the SONA page. Alongside the live shows are festivals that the website lists by name: Enotica, Babel, Electrode, Crack!, Weird, Interiora, Occhi Rossi and No Lebol, plus the Independent and Libertarian Publishing festival.

The rest of the fort's life is made of spaces with their own names: Sala da the, terraTERRA with its wine shop, Cinema Forte, Taverna, Pub Dodici Detutto, Infoshop with its library and Pallestra, the people's gym. The workshops include Ciclofficina, Serigrafia ChurmaLab, Medialab, Sala Prove, MusicaForte, TeatroForte, La Tajeria, RedLight (darkroom) and Officine Naturali. RadioForte streams online with shows such as Radio Strega, Onda Rap, The Klan and Storia della Pirateria.

In the October calendar the website listed Karaoooops, the Tuesday karaoke on October 20 from 22:00, Officine Naturali on Wednesdays from 19 to 21 starting October 21, and the party Mostruosamente Forte on October 31, with sound system, open workshops and music from late afternoon.

A Curiosity about Forte Prenestino

The fort is one of 15 forts built around Rome between 1877 and 1891, and it sits at the fourth kilometer of Via Prenestina, hence the name. Work began in 1880 and ended in 1884, and it was never used in battle. The municipality took over the area in 1977 and left it for years in a state of abandonment, until May 1, 1986, when the social center began to occupy it.

The data don't agree on the size: 13.4 hectares are given, while an article in Domani of April 30, 2026 speaks of about five hectares with tunnels, underground spaces and plazas on three rings, surrounded by a park. The difference probably depends on what is measured, the area of the fort or the total area with the park. Neither figure is published on the fort's website.

One Thing Nobody Tells You about Forte Prenestino

The website presents the fort as a set of spaces, workshops and festivals, and gives hours only for individual events. The practical rule is therefore to check the page of the event you're interested in, not the website in general.

Another peculiarity concerns the spaces: with such a large area, an event can take place far from the entrance. Allow time to cross the park, especially in the evening, and check the exact spot where the evening is held.

Upcoming Events at Forte Prenestino

On the ER site there are already the party Mostruosamente Forte and four evenings of the SONA series: Meatdogs, Apoptosi and Bloody Riot on November 6, Leda and Lilla on the 11th, Asymmetric Drive, Petrolio, Bero and Snaut on the 18th and Murosuono and The Apulian Blues Fondation on the 25th.

How Do You Get to Forte Prenestino?

The fort's website publishes no directions for public transit. The address to enter in the ATAC route calculator is Via Federico Delpino, Centocelle. The fort is at the fourth kilometer of Via Prenestina, a useful fact for getting your bearings on the map.

My Advice for Forte Prenestino

My advice is to pick a single event and read its page carefully: title of the evening, meeting point, any contribution. For music, the SONA series is the most straightforward choice, because it declares no covers, no DJs and no playback. For a morning, the terra/TERRA market on the third Sunday of the month is open from morning to sunset. The next one listed by the website was Sunday, October 18, so, applying the third-Sunday rule, the following one falls on November 15.

The Neighborhood Around It: Centocelle

The fort belongs to the Q. XIX Prenestino-Centocelle neighborhood, in Municipio V. To get your bearings in the area there is the guide Centocelle: things to see, while for a theater evening nearby you can look at the program of Teatro Jolie Rouge, for example Perché sì, Ettore Petrolini.

Frequently Asked Questions about Forte Prenestino

What is Forte Prenestino?

It's a 19th-century military fort, built between 1880 and 1884, occupied since May 1, 1986 by the Occupied Self-Managed Social Center. Today it hosts concerts, festivals, workshops, film, radio, a people's gym and a monthly market.

How much does entry cost?

The website doesn't publish a general price. For the SONA series entry is free, under the formula «No Cover, No Dj, No Playback». For other evenings, it's best to check the page of the individual event.

When is the market held?

The terra/TERRA market takes place every third Sunday of the month, from morning to sunset, according to the official website. The most recent date given on the page was Sunday, October 18, 2026.

Is there a radio station?

Yes, RadioForte streams online. The website lists shows such as Radio Strega, Onda Rap, The Klan and Storia della Pirateria, plus sections dedicated to live broadcasts, showcases and a radio news bulletin. You can listen from the fort's website.

Can you take courses or workshops?

The website presents many workshops, including Ciclofficina, Serigrafia ChurmaLab, Sala Prove and MusicaForte. Domani also mentions a music school with dozens of courses. Hours and costs are not published in general terms.

Article written by the editorial team of Tour Leader Pro, contact them for Private/Corporate/V.I.P. Tours and Experiences.

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