Explorer les villes abandonnées, préserver la mémoire des lieux: le cas d’étude de Santa Margherita dans la vallée du Belice en Sicile

On January 14, 1968, a strong earthquake struck the southwest of Sicily. The seism caused the collapse of almost all the buildings in the villages of Gibellina, Poggioreale, Salaparuta, and Montevago and seriously compromised the viability of Camporeale, Contessa Entellina, Menfi, Partanna, Roccamena, Salemi, Santa Margherita, Santa Ninfa, Sambuca and Vita. The fourteen municipalities adopted different reconstruction strategies. The four most affected were re-established on new sites, very far from the old centers; the other ten recovered the ruins in various ways by integrating them to new urban fabrics. In this context, the case of Santa Margherita is emblematic, because the new city was built in continuity with the old one, still recognizable today. The demolitions, therefore, did not affect the whole town and some sections have been since then preserved in their ruined state. Today, a large part of the population feels the need to repossess the houses abandoned for decades, still custodians of the material and immaterial history and culture of the community. These places represent a strong identity element and an important link with their past which risks disappearing while it could be a revitalizing element for a region in the process of depopulation. Based on careful research and surveys conducted on the site, this work aims to analyse the current state of the ghost city to support sustainable and inclusive recovery choices, compatible with the cultural roots of the concerned population.