Save the Bugatti Blue Factory: A desperate plea for help after a rave party was held at the abandoned facility

Once one of the most modern temples of European automobiles, it now languishes in neglect. In Campogalliano, a few kilometers from Modena, the so-called Fabbrica Blu —Bugatti's legendary Blue Factory—is experiencing its darkest hours after hosting an illegal rave that drew hundreds of people on October 31st. The news has set off alarm bells in Italy's Motor Valley, where thousands of residents are demanding immediate intervention from the authorities.

The Bugatti Automobili Campogalliano Historical and Cultural Association (APS) is leading a campaign on Change.org to demand that Italian authorities—from the Ministry of Culture to the Campogalliano City Council—immediately investigate the illegal rave held at the facility, which was attended by some 500 people, and take urgent measures to prevent further acts of vandalism on the premises.

According to local media reports, police identified around 300 people and made one arrest after law enforcement intervened in the early hours to clear the venue and ensure safety after the event.

Built in 1990, the Blue Factory was conceived as a symbol of the new Bugatti era. Architect Giampaolo Benedini designed a complex as avant-garde as it was elegant, surrounded by light and gardens, where the legendary EB110 and EB112 were built. These were the years of a renaissance, embodied by V12 engines, all-wheel drive, carbon fiber monocoques, and the ambition to return Italy to the forefront of global engineering.

The dream, however, was short-lived. Bugatti's bankruptcy in 1995 extinguished the lights of the complex, which would have suffered the same fate as so many other abandoned factories were it not for the Pavesi family. For nearly three decades, Ezio Pavesi and his relatives acted as volunteer caretakers of the site. They mowed the lawns, repaired windows, stood guard at night, and allowed organized tours for enthusiasts from all over the world. Thanks to them, the Blue Factory remained intact for almost thirty years.

This period of equilibrium was shattered in 2022 when the Pavesi family's custody ended and the building was left empty. Promises of restoration were never fulfilled, and since then, the damage has multiplied. Theft, vandalism, broken windows, and graffiti have devoured a place that, until recently, was a source of national pride. What happened on October 31st, with a massive, uncontrolled rave, was the final straw.

“The Blue Factory doesn’t just belong to those who own its walls; it’s part of Motor Valley’s collective memory,” explain the campaign organizers, whose petition has already gathered thousands of signatures in just a few days. Signatories include architects, automotive historians, and brand enthusiasts from around the world.

Romano Artioli, former president of Bugatti Automobili and the driving force behind the project, also expressed his outrage. “The Blue Factory is not just an industrial building. It is the heart, soul, and sacrifice of hundreds of people who, with passion, genius, and dedication, brought Bugatti back to life in Italy. To see it desecrated and abandoned is a wound that breaks my heart,” he wrote on his social media.

Comparisons to other industrial disasters, such as the abandonment of the former De Tomaso plant in Modena, are in the air. But the association still believes in a different future and that the Blue Factory will be reborn as a museum, cultural space, or technical center dedicated to the history of the Italian automobile. “Hope remains alive,” its supporters reiterate, but they add that, “if we don’t act now, we will lose it forever.”