Gibellina – A Town Buried in Concrete

The road to the old town of Ruderi di Gibellina is so cracked and deformed that it is hard to imagine that the earthquake which flattened it occurred nearly 50 years ago. Up to 400 people died, a thousand were injured and 100,000 left homeless when the 5.5 tremor hit south west Sicily on the 15^th of January 1968. The surviving inhabitants suffered even more until the new town was completed 12 years later nearly 20 kms away. Much delay was caused due to corruption and Mafia threats regarding building contracts.

It’s a sunny day and I stop briefly at the cemetery of Ruderi di Gibellina, the only structure to have survived. A simple memorial remembers those who died on that dreadful day. The road winds down to the site of the former town, now almost completely covered in a layer of concrete, looking like a misplaced glacier. In fact, Alberto Burri’s modern art installation is named ‘IL Cretto’ (The Crevice) and the cuts in the concrete represent the positions of the roads that ran through the town. It’s almost as if the artist has sought to bury the pain of the past. However, a few derelict and crumbling buildings remain to serve as a reminder of what happened here 50 years ago.

The following day, on the anniversary of the earthquake, I visit the new Gibellina. It is Sunday morning and the streets are empty, so I can drive around and check out the modern art which is dotted around the place. It’s clear that they applied lessons learned from the earthquake when they designed the new town. Houses and flats are only one or two storeys and the streets are very wide, but it is devoid of any real character and feels like a 1970s council estate. I wondered if there would be a memorial service at the church but perhaps it is too early as it is all locked up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I move on to Salemi, high on a hill and not quite as badly affected by the earthquake, though the ruins of the Chiesa Madre are a reminder of that time. The sacred art from all the affected churches was collected up, restored and is now displayed in the Museum of the Jesuit College where there is also, bizarrely, a replica of ‘Mary’s House’ of Loreto. As well as the sacred art, the museum has a small archaeological section, a rather disturbing Mafia exhibition and some memorabilia related to Garibaldi. On the 11^th of May 1860 he landed at Marsala with a thousand Red Shirts and managed to defeat 15,000 Bourbon soldiers at Calatafimi. Neighbouring Salemi became the first capital of the Unified Italy and proudly flew the Tricolore flag, if only one day.

 

 

Italian Earthquakes

A few days before I arrived in Italy, the central region was suffering the effects of two significant earthquakes. A 6.1 seismic tremor rocked the town of Visso on the 26^th October and another, even stronger, tremor of 6.6 caused serious damage in Norcia just 4 days later. It seems rather coincidental that I find myself in an area which suffered a similar devastating disaster 40 years ago.

Historically, Venzone has been an important trading town since Celtic times and later the Romans built the Via Julia Augusta through it, linking Italy with the northern territories. Fortified in the 13^th century, using stone from the adjacent riverbed, it weathered many local rebellions and by 1420 became part of the ever expanding Venetian Republic. More recently, in 1965, the town was declared a national monument.

However, the most defining moment in its history came on the 6^th May 1976 when an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck the region. In the town of Venzone, 47 people died, many more were injured and thousands were left homeless. Local authorities, assisted by the Alpine soldiers, hastily made the town safe but on the 15^th September 1976 another tremor of 6.1 hit the region and flattened 90% of the already seriously damaged buildings.

Over the next 30 years the Italian government supported the restoration of the town, both financially and spiritually and they have done a wonderful job of re-establishing the medieval character. The magnificent cathedral of St Andrew was reconstructed using a pioneering anastylosis technique and luckily some of the 14^th century frescos survived. When I visit, it is evident that work is still ongoing as some restored statues are being positioned within the interior. Outside is a circular chapel which houses some mummified bodies, preserved by a parasitic mould similar to those which I saw in Urbania.

Only 8 kms to the south is the town of Gemona del Friuli whose historic centre sits on the slope of Monte Chiampon. I arrive to find a memorial ceremony taking place in the main square to remember the 1918 Armistice of Villa Giusti which ended war between Italy and Austria-Hungary. My Italian is not great but I can tell that they are also remembering those who lost their lives in the 1976 earthquakes and the Alpine soldiers who helped them to rebuild their homes.

 

 

Seeing the castle and cathedral of Gemona now, it is easy to identify the original features and those that have been restored. A crane looming over the castle implies that there is still some way to go before the town will have completely recovered from the earthquakes and a detailed photographic exhibition on the main street shows that they are not willing to forget their tragic past.

The Italian earthquakes of 1976 and those of 2016 should remind us all that although nature can be a beautiful thing it can also be a destructive force, especially if we don’t respect it.

 

 

Lorca – A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

On the 11th May 2011 an earthquake hit the town of Lorca in Spain. 9 people died and 10,000 people were left homeless. Significant damage was caused to local buildings by the 5.1 magnitude quake and, two and a half years later, the town is still in a state of repair and rebuild. Scaffolding supports many exterior walls and even the tourist information office is being held up by large metal beams and rods. However, life goes on around me as people do their daily shopping or meet up with friends for a coffee.
I find the Belen, a traditional nativity scene which most towns and cities display for the public. It is housed in the beautiful Palace of Guevara surrounded by the ornate columns of the courtyard. There is an overriding theme of Egypt in the miniature models complete with Nile crocodiles and elephants. It also features well known Lorca buildings such as the Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick and the Plaza de Espana.
Apart from the 2011 earthquake, Lorca is well known for the Semana Santa Festival which takes place at Easter each year. Two brotherhoods (Blue and White) compete in a colourful display of costumes depicting religious scenes as they parade through the streets. In the Church of San Francisco I find a new photographic exhibition of the festival. The photos capture the excitement and energy of the parade and when I enquire of the photographer I am pointed in the direction of a young man who I had thought was just another interested passer-by but who is actually David Giner, the imaginative creator of the work.
The church of San Francisco shows little sign of damage from the earthquake. It was one of the early historic sites to be repaired. However, the Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick is still surrounded by tall cranes and many others are closed to the public. Lorca is rising again like a phoenix from the ashes with a project of restoration but many people are still waiting for somewhere to live in the town and perhaps the construction of apartments has not received the same level of priority as the historic treasures.
I drive up to the Fortress of the Sun, a medieval castle which overlooks the town from a hill to the north. There are no cars in the parking area, it is December and not the height of the tourist season but I wonder if people have stopped seeing Lorca as a tourist destination following the earthquake. The truth is that there is still a lot to see and do in the town and supporting the local people and the tourist sites can only help speed up the recovery process.