Works are underway on the sanitary unit in Pula's Circolo, which will see the city's last squat toilets go into history. When the works are completed in mid-November, standard toilets will be installed in the women's and men's restrooms, and there will be no more squat toilets in the Circolo.
The reconstruction and adaptation of the toilet unit is being carried out due to wear and tear, and is funded by the Italian Union. President of the Community of Italians Pula, Tamara Brussich, highlighted that they had had problems with the drains and that standards had changed since the building was adapted.
Squat toilets were once a ubiquitous solution in public restrooms. They could be seen at the Stoja beach, in some healthcare facilities, and in old bistros next to petrol stations. Those in the Circolo were specific in that they were relatively new – installed during the major reconstructions of the Community of Italians in 1999.
Before the building renovation, the sanitary facilities were located in a narrow corridor behind the large hall, with one women's and one men's toilet with standard seats. The Community began receiving complaints from older members attending workshops about the difficulty of using the toilets. Brussich proposed keeping one squat toilet as a souvenir, but it was decided to remove them all.
In Italy, squat toilets are called bagno alla turca and there are many of them – in stations, bars and shopping centres. Four years ago, a major public controversy arose over squat toilets in a secondary school in Pazin, and their removal was initiated by parents.
