ITALIAN PATRIMONY: TOO MANY OLD CHURCHES, TOO MANY CASTLES
We are about the only Americans around this town that we know of. And it is probably a good thing there are no American entrepreneurs interested in Sciacca. If they ever got wind of how much unique, ancient stuff there is lying around here, and how little people seem to value it, they would easily be able to purchase for a song run down but priceless architectural and archeological treasures that could be used for theme restaurants, upscale apartment housing, or whatever. In fact last year about this time, the Valley of the Temple/Agrigento area had a scandal on its hands about its plans to sell various tracts of patrimony, the Italian term for treasures from antiquity that belong to, and should stay in, the country. Whether that means to benefit the Italian people in general, or for the profit of some Italians (as in some of the luxury resorts here and on the mainland) remains to be sorted out. These resorts rely on the beauty of the environment which some people will argue is also patrimony.
We find out about the architectural side of this stuff in the local papers, which weekly bemoan the fate of a church or castle somewhere that has served people in some limited capacity for hundreds of years. There could now be one office in it, or home to various squatters. Then there are the examples rights here in Sciacca, notably like the one I sent a picture of last year, a vegetable stand in a castle tower. Our town holds its weekly market in the part of the city, San Michele, contained in the walls of the 15th century Castillo di Luna. The Pharmacy we go to is in a beautiful old Palazzo. The church where we saw Christmas ceramic shows for the last 2 years, Santa Margharita Di Belice, here in Sciacca, is from the 1300s and is very, very old with the lovely new installation (1800s) of a ceramic tile floor in waves of black and white, which really heightens this art show. It is too old and crumbling to use on a regular basis, but it is wonderful to go in occasionally. In fact, the plentitude of churches that are old in this town alone makes it amazing that so many places from centuries ago are sill used and indeed, in some cases, still house people. And then there is the art showcase built out of the Alcamo castle, the theater spaces of Segesta, Siracusa, and Gibellina, the Agrigento museum built in old San Nicola church.
Anyway, these buildings are always falling apart. Stone lasts a long time, but when the money and thereafter, the repairs stop, the buildings eventually crumble, and ya gotta start all over again to repair them. And Palermo has this problem worst than most places because it is a big city with many poor immigrants and lots of old falling down buildings. Naturally, these old abandoned places get inhabited by the homeless (mostly African and some Middle Eastern and Eastern European people) who live in squalor (and danger) in the climate such as we have for most of the year. So the citys special branch of the police in charge of such things conducts an inspection and closes the place down and tries to find a way to fix it up or tear it down (with the excuse that it is dangerous for anyone to inhabit it). People have to find a new place to live and the game goes on. Most of the immigrants are sponsored by larger groups, but their sheer numbers are overwhelming a city like Palermo.
Thus the problems of immigrant homeless are yet to be resolved. But to continue architecturally, seeing these old structures that were once so lovely in such a state of disrepair is really sad, too. Government funds are available but not for the rescue of all of them. Plus the bureaucracy that has to be faced to get funds to do repairs necessary to make them habitable, and their sheer numbers, makes these old buildings ripe for demolition. So it says in tonights paper, the church of Sant Andrea degli Aromatari near the famous Vucciria market in Palermo, dating back from the 12th century, is now closed to occupancy and will probably be torn down. Peccato!, (What a shame!) as the Italians would say. Maybe it would be good if there were more American entrepreneurs around!
We find out about the architectural side of this stuff in the local papers, which weekly bemoan the fate of a church or castle somewhere that has served people in some limited capacity for hundreds of years. There could now be one office in it, or home to various squatters. Then there are the examples rights here in Sciacca, notably like the one I sent a picture of last year, a vegetable stand in a castle tower. Our town holds its weekly market in the part of the city, San Michele, contained in the walls of the 15th century Castillo di Luna. The Pharmacy we go to is in a beautiful old Palazzo. The church where we saw Christmas ceramic shows for the last 2 years, Santa Margharita Di Belice, here in Sciacca, is from the 1300s and is very, very old with the lovely new installation (1800s) of a ceramic tile floor in waves of black and white, which really heightens this art show. It is too old and crumbling to use on a regular basis, but it is wonderful to go in occasionally. In fact, the plentitude of churches that are old in this town alone makes it amazing that so many places from centuries ago are sill used and indeed, in some cases, still house people. And then there is the art showcase built out of the Alcamo castle, the theater spaces of Segesta, Siracusa, and Gibellina, the Agrigento museum built in old San Nicola church.
Anyway, these buildings are always falling apart. Stone lasts a long time, but when the money and thereafter, the repairs stop, the buildings eventually crumble, and ya gotta start all over again to repair them. And Palermo has this problem worst than most places because it is a big city with many poor immigrants and lots of old falling down buildings. Naturally, these old abandoned places get inhabited by the homeless (mostly African and some Middle Eastern and Eastern European people) who live in squalor (and danger) in the climate such as we have for most of the year. So the citys special branch of the police in charge of such things conducts an inspection and closes the place down and tries to find a way to fix it up or tear it down (with the excuse that it is dangerous for anyone to inhabit it). People have to find a new place to live and the game goes on. Most of the immigrants are sponsored by larger groups, but their sheer numbers are overwhelming a city like Palermo.
Thus the problems of immigrant homeless are yet to be resolved. But to continue architecturally, seeing these old structures that were once so lovely in such a state of disrepair is really sad, too. Government funds are available but not for the rescue of all of them. Plus the bureaucracy that has to be faced to get funds to do repairs necessary to make them habitable, and their sheer numbers, makes these old buildings ripe for demolition. So it says in tonights paper, the church of Sant Andrea degli Aromatari near the famous Vucciria market in Palermo, dating back from the 12th century, is now closed to occupancy and will probably be torn down. Peccato!, (What a shame!) as the Italians would say. Maybe it would be good if there were more American entrepreneurs around!
posted by Sicilian Mama at 1:27 PM
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