Citta Morte: Ghost towns of Italy

Ancient Towns and Ruins in Italy

Roofless buildings, no plumbing or electricity, streets too narrow for the smallest Fiat, winds blowing trash and debris through empty windows - these are some of the images one experiences as they explore Italy's Citta Morte, the dead cities. Better known to English speakers as Ghost Towns, many of these locations were abandoned after earthquakes reduced the major buildings to rubble. The citizens often decided, or were forced by the government to move to a new location instead of rebuilding. Whether it was a natural disaster, lack of modern conveniences, or simply the dwindling of an elderly population, Citta Morte can be found across the country.

However some of these Citta Morte have been given a second life as artist colonies, or more often a refuge for squatters and illegal immigrants. There are possibly hundreds of abandoned villages and small towns throughout Italy, with a larger concentration in the impoverished and seismically active portions of the south. Below are some of the more well-known of the Citta Morte found in Italy that can be visited.

Citta Morte: Bussana Vecchia

Bussana Vecchia is arguably the most famous of the Citta Morte due to its rebirth as an artist colony. The residents of Bussana Vecchia have also been fighting a decades long legal battle with the local government in order to stay in this ruined city. The town is located in Liguria, close to the French border and under the jurisdiction of San Remo. In the late 19th Century a devastating earthquake made the town uninhabitable and was left to crumble until a troupe of artists began squatting in the buildings starting in the 1960's. Today the former Ghost Town has seen vast improvements due to the hard work of its citizen-artists. Dwellings have been rebuilt and portions of Bussana Vecchia have electricity and plumbing, allowing for commercial enterprises such as restaurants and art galleries. Although the town cannot truly be considered “dead” most of the town retains a ruined appearance and continues to be an inspiring motif for artists. Like all Citta Morte, its future is uncertain as the authorities attempt to either evict the squatters or, more recently try to force them to pay rent.

Citta Morte: Giardini di Ninfa

This abandoned estate and former town located in Lazio is better known today for its botanical gardens, but certainly qualifies as a Citta Morte. Giardini di Ninfa, as it is known today, was once the fairly substantial medieval town of Ninfa. The town, whose roots date back to Roman times later became part of the Caetani family estate before family wars and deadly malaria left the town crumbling and abandoned in the 14th Century. The last surviving descendants of the Caetani used the crumbling ruins as the scene for an English Style botanical garden beginning in the 1920's. Today the Giardini di Ninfa is popular with gardeners with its picture perfect romantic setting of bridge-covered waterways, ruined churches covered in shrubbery and all manner of exotic plantlife. With the last of the Caetani line passing on, the Giardini di Ninfa is now operated by the Fondazione Roffredo Caetani in conjunction with the conservationist group WWF.

Citta Morte: Tocco Caudio

The Beneventan town of Tocco Caudio is an example of a living city surrounding a dead one. The ancient town is located on an inaccessible ridge that made modern living extremely difficult for the residents. The old city center was already being abandoned before the earthquake of 1980 rung the death knell for old Tocco Caudio. The residents have created a new town that is more accommodating and allows for automobile traffic. Today the old town of Tocco Caudio is a true Citta Morte and essentially off-limits for safety reasons. However that has not stopped the occasional visitor from entering the old town and walking amongst the crumbling buildings to take photos.

Citta Morte: Pentidattilo

This medieval Calabrian town has been deserted for decades as it faces a double threat of both earthquakes and landslides. Pentidattilo means “five fingers” and is so named for the pillars of rock that hang ominously above the ghost town. Since Pentidattilo was evacuated before a major catastrophe, the town is in remarkably good shape in comparison to some of the other Citta Morte. Many buildings still have their roofs, including the town church and visitors may wonder why it was abandoned. Today there is an organization trying to refurbish Pentedattilo and recently the ghost town has become the location of a Film Festival. However one look at the looming fingers of rock overhead and it is easy to realize that even the slightest earth tremor could send the mountain crashing down upon Pentidattilo.

Citta Morte: Poggioreale

This Sicilian ghost town located in the province of Trapani was destroyed by an earthquake in 1968. The old town of Poggioreale barely existed for three-hundred years before the earthquake forced the residents to build the new town a few kilometers south. Poggioreale was not the only town in Sicily's Belice valley to be abandoned and rebuilt in a new location due to the 1968 quake. The medieval town of Salaparuta was completely reduced to rubble; not a building remained except for some ruins of its castle. Old Poggioreale by contrast, fared slightly better than some of the other towns and can still be visited in its deteriorated state.

For More Information:

• Bussana Vecchia: http://www.bussanavecchia.com/



• Giardini di Ninfa: http://www.fondazionecaetani.org/



• Associazione Pro Pentedattilo: http://www.pentedattilo.info



• Pentedattilo Film Festival: http://www.pentedattilofilmfestival.net



• Modern Poggioreale - photos of old town: http://www.comune.poggioreale.tp.it

By Justin Demetri