The State Archive remains in Riposto: Messina rises up against the theft of memory

The battle for the State Archive does not stop. Despite the silence that seems to envelop the matter after the transfer of the structure to the new location on Via Dogali. In the recently acquired premises, 240 square meters, only the offices are operational. The solution identified by the Archival Superintendency of Sicily, led by Gabriele Capone, came at the end of a market survey conducted on multiple proposals, continues to be unpopular among Messinese intellectuals and historians. The valuable material - this is the crucial point - remains stored in a warehouse in Riposto, managed by the Sikelia company. Messina has suffered a theft. A damage to collective memory. Cartoonist Lelio Bonaccorso, on the front lines for the defense of historical heritage, is calling on mayoral candidates. The hope is for a dialogue to obtain a concrete commitment for the return of the documents to the shores of the Strait. Bonaccorso is involving the cultural world and also writers, so that the matter can gain national attention. Keeping the spotlight on is the goal of the committee that has promoted two public demonstrations - over 4,000 signatures collected with a popular petition - without receiving a response from local institutions. In October of last year, the mayor, Federico Basile, had promised Palazzo Zanca's commitment to finding a solution that could prevent the transfer to the province of Catania. But that has not happened. In recent weeks, the Regional Council for Cultural Heritage has addressed the issue, putting forward some hypotheses. Among the proposals is the transfer of the volumes to one of the pavilions of the former Margherita hospital. On this point, there seems to be an opening from the Cultural Heritage Assessor, ready to request a report from the Superintendency. A dialogue has been initiated with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The timelines risk being long. The tender for the redevelopment of Pavilion 10 has been suspended. However, resources aimed at the project could be integrated from Palermo. But this is just a possibility and, moreover, without any certainty. At least for now. Meanwhile, there remains discomfort for those who wish to consult the material. The texts that encapsulate the centuries-old history of Messina remain relegated to a storage facility kilometers away. A total of 7,200 linear meters of archival documentation, including 720 parchments, and about 10,000 library volumes, including works from the 1500s and 1600s.