Poggioreale Antica: Pnrr works stalled, beams that look like makeup and controversies over safety

In one of the “ghost” countries symbolizing the 1968 earthquake, urban regeneration turns into controversy. As if the issues that have existed in Belice for 58 long years were not enough. But fortunately, it does not seem to become yet another missed opportunity. The redevelopment of the ancient center, started last September and funded with 1.6 million euros from the Pnrr with the aim of a tourist reimagining of the places, has been stopped since December. This standstill is beginning to raise concerns about a project presented as a “model” against depopulation which, to date, seems to show some fragilities.

The alarm is raised by the Poggioreale Antica association, led by Gioacchino Musso, which denounces not only the halt of the works but also the quality of the interventions already carried out. The focus is particularly on the safety measures for Palazzo Alberto Agosta, along Corso Umberto, where the company removed the balcony railings and installed wooden beams that, according to the association, would not guarantee any real stability. "They are behind schedule. At the end of the works, there will only be a pile of wood. Will this work be correct? Is it acceptable for the cultural heritage offices?" Musso states, emphasizing how the wooden framework is "simply placed against the wall, lacking mechanical connections and a real load-bearing scheme."

A heavy technical criticism, to which Mayor Carmelo Palermo promptly responds: "Instrumental controversies – he says – the delay was caused by the need to carry out further safety interventions on the construction site after the rains of recent weeks. Together with the technicians from the Superintendency, we conducted inspections and the construction site is ready to restart to complete the works by June, as per the timeline. We are working hard to do what has not been done in many years in the past: we needed to verify some interventions with the utmost caution, utmost prudence in coordination with the Superintendency, project management, Rup, and the company, to eliminate all critical situations.

Yet, the wooden beams placed for safety measures are seen by many as an intervention more apparent than real, a façade that would not solve the structural problem and risks becoming a paradox: securing without truly securing. "There are technicians with the necessary expertise who have worked on the design and are continuing to oversee the works" – adds Palermo – these are the same interventions carried out in buildings that in other parts of Italy were damaged by the earthquake. The project should allow for a safe path from Palazzo Agosta to Piazza Elimo, with artistic lighting and evening access to the ruins. A fundamental piece with which the current administration wants to finally open Poggioreale Antica to visitors and connect the old village to the new center, in an operation of “museumification” that aims to transform the memory of the earthquake into a cultural and tourist resource.