Circolo?

[NewtoTuscany]

I think I have been being a bit slow. In our village there is a bar opposite our apartment, Circolo Arci, which has always seemd a bit different to the other bar in the village. It hosts various events, dance classes, Take away pizzas at weekend and seems to have lots of sports teams information when you go in for a coffee. It also hosts one of the sagras. Eventually, we have realised that the same name crops up outside bars in surrounding villages or a similarly named...Circolo ( suffix of village name).

Is this some kind of club or community centre rather than a simple bar? Is there a network of these or something similar?

If anyone can enlighten me I'd be pleased to understand. I'm sure somebody on here will have some ideas

Thanks

[Angie and Robert]

Bit like a community drop in Centre I think, a sort of friendship club, with the added bonus of being a bar, I actually havent seen that prefix around this area, but bars in villages do provide a meeting place, often have fax machines, and all carry the local newspapers.
A

[anne2]

'Circolo' simply signifies a club or society - some are quite specific eg Youth clubs, working mens clubs, retired people, politically oreintated - whilst others are open to all. Some, regardless of type, seem to be based on members only others are, as Angie suggested, treated more as Community drop in centres so everyone is welcome.

[Carole B]

Circolo ARCI is a very large organisation and their 'centres' are usually like the one you describe...

Here is one of their many websites - this one at Verona: >Circolo ARCI - VERONA<

They do also, I believe, have contacts with organisations in the UK. But probably a 'Google' might clarify that.

My village has several 'Circoli' - one for the Choir, one for the 'Old Folk' and one for the village band. But we're too small for a Circolo ARCI. That's in the next town... In essence it's somewhere where people with similar interests can organise meetings and events.

[NewtoTuscany]

It does sound very like Carole B describes. It has slowly dawned on us that the character was totally different than our chosen bar but we do go there on Tuesdays when ours is closed. I think we have been a bit intimidated by the old men who seem to take up residence outside for most of the day. We're afraid we might sit in somebody's chair!

Their take away pizza's are excellent and good value and the cinghale sagra is one of the first things that attracted us to the village. We had thought it was a village event but now realise it must be organised by Circolo. I'll have to find out more about how it all works. When I get a bit braver I might volunteer to wait on at the sagra.

[Sally Donaldson]

Folloring on from Carole's post ARCI associazione di promozione sociale the main ARCI website