Page 4 - Italian-American Herald - May 2024

4 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | MAY2024 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD HISTORY
Lost towns: Effort underway to rescue borghi abbandonati from time Continued from front page
Civita di Bagnoregio in the province of Viterbo in central Italy is one of the better- known villages that have lost all or almost all of their populations. It was prosperous from Roman times through the late Middle Ages. Most residents fled after a devastating earthquake in 1695. After World War II almost all the population left to work in other cities or to move abroad. In the last 50 years the population has averaged around 10 full-time residents. While these residents cling to life on this plateau, scientists predict the entire village will eventually fall into the valley below due to continued erosion of the consolidated rock created by volcanic ash which is susceptible to erosion by both wind and rain.
Another well-known borgo abbandonato is Bussana Vecchia in Liguria, which was deserted after a terrible earthquake but was later reimagined and became a village for artists. The village is now home to about 30 inhabitants, mostly artists, who all know each other and are connected by their goal of revitalizing the town.
In Lombardia, the town of Cononno was purchased in order to create an amusement park. Italian developer Mario Bagno built the themed Città dei Balocchi (“City of Toys”) resort in the 1960s and ’70s but it was later destroyed by landslides. Many ghost villages
An Italian government report in 2016 stated that there were approximately 2,500 rural villages that were considered critically depopulated or semi-abandoned.
The Tibetan Bridge connecting Sellano and Montesanto in Umbria was built to connect the two towns and draws more visitors to the area | ADOBE STOCK
also met the fate of becoming submerged underwater in order to create water reservoirs for agricultural or other purposes.
In Basilicata, Roscigno Vecchia in Campania has become famous as an eco- museum. The village, located on Monte Pruno in the midst of the Cilento Valley,
was left behind due to landslides and
then malaria. By the 1970s the majority of residents had relocated to Roscigno Nuovo. The last official resident passed away in 2000. Journalists and word of mouth brought tourists to the site of Roscigno Vecchia when the local “tourist office” was created. The “pro loco” promoted the town itself as a Museum of Agricultural Civilization. It was the first of its kind in Campania and is one of the most interesting in southern Italy.
Giuseppe Spagnuolo was the last inhabitant of Roscigno Vecchia. He moved there in 1997 after his father-in-law moved into his home in Roscigno Nuovo. He wanted to live alone so he moved into a house with no electricity or running water in the old town and lived there by himself for 22 years until his death in January 2024. He became an unofficial tour guide of the town for visitors who came to this small “walking village” and gained
notoriety for his refusal to leave.
Other better known abandoned towns in
Italy include Pentedattili in Calabria, Gerace in Campania, Poggioreale in Sicily, and Valle Piola in Abruzzo.
Over the past several decades there have been private investors who have found numerous ways to reimagine and repurpose some of the vacated towns. In 2017, the European Commission promoted an Action Plan for Smart Villages that would increase connectivity across rural areas and help to promote economic recovery.
Now the Italian government and the
EU are moving forward with a plan to save
at least 250 villages in danger of becoming ghost towns. Each region has chosen one village at risk of abandonment and submitted plans to the National Recovery and Resilience plan (NRRP).
NRRP has provided a total budget of 1 billion euro for the project with 420 million euro allocated to the 21 selected villages to promote quality economic growth and repopulations efforts. The additional funding will go to another 229 villages notified through a public notice which will implement local cultural regeneration projects.
Two towns that were chosen to receive funds under the plan are Rocca Calascio
and Craco. Rocca Calascio in Abruzzo is located in the province of Aquila. The village is dominated by a stunning 10th century fortress on a mountain peak which offers a breathtaking view of the Gran Sasso National Park. It is also well known as a film location for movies such as “Ladyhawke” (1985), “The Name of the Rose” (1986), and “The American” (2010).
More than 100,000 visitors come to see the remains of the fortress as well as other nearby sites and hiking areas. Only about 125 residents live in the village of Calascio below the fortress and they make their living through agriculture and tourism.
Some of the proposed investments for
the area include a hotel, a camping area, and an area for horseback riders to rest along riding trails in the area. This will add more accessibility with hopes for an increase in tourists. The area already draws many visitors each year but the completion of these plans will certainly be a boost for local businesses and for investments in new businesses.
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