01
Youth hostels
Four hostels in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. The first, the Ostello Estense in Ferrara, since 2008.
Società Cooperativa Ballarò · since 2005
We make public places of hospitality work.
Accoglienti per cultura. Welcoming by culture.
We are an Italian worker cooperative. On behalf of public bodies and universities we run hostels, university guest houses, catering and services under concession in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, with our registered office in Palermo.
Ballarò at a glance
- Founded in Palermo
- 2005
- Active concessions, for 5 different bodies
- 5
- Staff, 2025 average
- 40
- Members, June 2026
- 19
- Overnight stays a year in our facilities
- 60.000+
- UNI/PdR gender equality, since 2025
- 125
Sources: Italian Business Register, extract of 15 June 2026; overnight stays: Cooperative data.
What we know how to run
Every skill corresponds to a facility or a service that we run, or have run.
02
University hospitality
The Le Benedettine guest house for the University of Pisa. At our origins, ten summers in ERSU Palermo’s San Saverio student residence.
03
Catering and events
Al Chiostro della Ghiara in Reggio Emilia since 2012. The Ostello Estense restaurant since 2009, the Gowett kitchen. From 2016 to 2026, the Ristorante Santa Barbara.
04
Social reception
From 2018 to 2026 we ran Casa Ballarò, a reception centre for asylum seekers in Ferrara.
05
Protected historic buildings
The Ostello Estense, Palazzo Gowett and the Ostello della Ghiara are listed buildings. In Palermo we ran two 17th-century former convents belonging to the University.
06
Digital skills
Websites, networks, servers and management software built in-house, connected to the Team System Hospitality system used in all our facilities.
Our facilities today
All facilities →All our facilities are entrusted to the Cooperative under concession by public bodies and universities, and all are in historic or notable buildings.
Student’s Hostel Estense
Hostel, bar, restaurant, bike hire
Student’s Hostel Gowett
Hostel, catering for guests, swimming pool
Student’s Hostel della Ghiara
Hostel; restaurant, bar and events with Al Chiostro della Ghiara
Residence Le Benedettine
Guest house for academics, researchers and University guests
Student’s Hostel L. Ferraris
Hostel
Past management
Student’s Hostel San Saverio, Palermo (ten summers, from 2006) · Student’s Hostel Palermo, Palermo (2010) · Casa senza frontiere, Ferrara (2011–2017) · Ristorante Santa Barbara, Campiglia Marittima (LI) (2016–2026) · Casa Ballarò, Ferrara (Mizzana) (2018–2026)
We work and have worked for
- Municipality of Ferrara
- Municipality of Reggio Emilia
- Parchi Val di Cornia
- University of Pisa
- Municipality of Parma
- ERSU Palermo
- University of Palermo
- Prefecture of Ferrara
In grey: bodies we worked for in the past.
A cooperative born among students
Ballarò was founded in Palermo in 2005 by a university student association that had been organising the San Saverio Jazz Festival in the garden of a student residence since 2004. From 2006, for ten summers, the Cooperative turned that ERSU residence into a hostel. In 2007 it won the tender for Ferrara’s municipal youth hostel: its first management outside Sicily.
Today we are a worker cooperative with prevailing mutuality: most of the work is done by the members themselves.
Our brands
Our public-facing activities have their own brands and websites. Ballarò is the cooperative that runs them.
Hospitality
Our hostels for schools, groups, tour operators and travellers. Destinations, availability and group requests are on studentshostel.it.
studentshostel.it ↗
Catering and events
Restaurant, café, banquets and events in the historic centre of Reggio Emilia, in the same complex as the Student’s Hostel della Ghiara.
chiostrodellaghiara.re.it ↗Milestones
2004
The Ballarò student association organises the first San Saverio Jazz Festival in Palermo
2005
Società Cooperativa Ballarò is founded in Palermo
2006
Student’s Hostel San Saverio, ERSU student residence, Palermo
2008
Ostello Estense, Ferrara (tender won in 2007)
2009
Palazzo Gowett, Campiglia Marittima
2010
Three historic buildings of the University of Palermo
2011
Ostello della Ghiara, Reggio Emilia, and Casa senza frontiere, Ferrara
2012
Al Chiostro della Ghiara opens
2014
Le Benedettine guest house, University of Pisa
2016
Ristorante Santa Barbara, San Silvestro Park
2018
Casa Ballarò, reception of asylum seekers, Ferrara
2021
Student’s Hostel L. Ferraris, Parma
2025
The Cooperative turns twenty and is certified to UNI/PdR 125:2022
2026
Third consecutive concession for the Gowett
Responsibility
Gender equality, certified and measured
Since 23 May 2025 our gender equality management system has been certified to UNI/PdR 125:2022, Italy’s reference standard, by Kiwa Cermet Italia (certificate no. 22067-PG).
Our policy, indicators and reporting channel are published on the dedicated page, in Italian and English.
Networks. The Cooperative is a member of Legacoop, the Italian league of cooperatives, and of AITR, the Italian Association for Responsible Tourism.
Do you have a facility to entrust to an operator?
Write to us to get to know the Cooperative, discuss a collaboration or ask for our references.
Let’s talk
Or write to amministrazione@ballaro.org or call +39 0522 452323