About Sicily

Poggioreale ancient ghost town suspended in time

Today we bring you to the Sicilian hinterland and precisely to ancient Poggioreale, the ghost town suspended in time. Here an intricate set of hills and valleys follow one another seamlessly and nature forms a magical puzzle with the man who has always worked and transformed the earth.

Arrival at Poggioreale

Immersed in thoughts and entranced by the landscapes, we came to a junction with a sign that indicated “Poggioreale”. Turning right and covering a few hundred meters, we find the road blocked by a gate that precludes entry to the village. We have reached ancient Poggioreale. A sign attached to the gate bars reads: “no transit”, but little by little in absolute silence, we hear voices coming from behind the gate. With amazement, we discover a couple of German tourists who photograph one of the symbolic places of Sicily: ancient Poggioreale, the ghost town suspended in time.

The Earthquake of 1968

Here time stopped at 03:01 in the morning of January 15, 1968. The earthquake of Belice, Poggioreale’s ancient ghost town, caused over 200 victims, about 1,000 wounded, and 90,000 displaced persons among Montevago, Gibellina, Salaparuta, Poggioreale, and annexed hamlets.

The Devastation

The event began on the afternoon of January 14, but the most devastating tremors occurred at 03:01. Many people, mindful of the shocks of the previous hours, preferred to spend the night in the open, in the car, which was certainly a wise decision. The earthquake of magnitude 6.5 was considered one of the highest magnitude earthquakes of the 20th century in Italy.

The Aftermath

At a distance of time, some localities were rebuilt, others razed to the ground, others abandoned, and it was this last destiny that fell to Poggioreale. Although it was greatly damaged, many private houses, public, and religious structures still remain standing: the Mother Church, the school, a small part of the theatre, just to name a few.

Rebuilding Efforts

The locals no longer wanted to rebuild, believing it would be uneconomic to renovate the same site. The town was rebuilt further downstream, but the citizens were not enthusiastic about the architectural choices used for reconstruction that did not replicate the typical style of the places. This sad event was followed by mass migrations of entire families that lost everything in a few hours. Thus began a slow and gradual depopulation. Many, in fact, emigrated to northern Italy and abroad, looking for work and a better life.

Visiting Poggioreale Today

Time can be stopped: This is certainly the feeling you get when you enter Poggioreale. Respect and reverence are indispensable prerequisites for visiting this almost sacred place, where many people met their end. It relives, as a still image, that distant January of ’68. A moment that freezes forever years or probably even centuries of history, memories, affections, and moments of life lived within the walls of the home, a primary and indispensable good for every individual.

The Experience

Observe with your own eyes, furniture, furnishings, tables, and chairs left as they were a fraction of a second before that tragic event. We feel the upheaval that the inhabitants had to live. You empathize and are made to think about how small and powerless we are in front of mother nature.