Gibellina Nuova Attractions
Location
The little country town of Gibellina, situated near Salemi, suffered such extensive earthquake damage in 1968 that the decision was made to rebuild Gibellina Nuova 20km/12mi further west.
Well-known architects, sculptors and painters such as Vittorio Gregotti, Alessandro Mendini, Renato Guttuso, Pietro Consagra, Giuseppe Spagnulo, Alberto Burri, Mimmo Rotella and Andrea Cascella were engaged. From their plans developed a controversial drawing-board town, its character created by the most modern type of architecture and sculpture, which has very little in common with either Sicily or with the landscape and the way of life of the inhabitants.
The town is entered by the gigantic "Porta di Ferra" which was designed by Pietro Consagra (1980, from nirosta steel). Next to the town hall stands the grotesque-looking church of "La grande Sfera" with a spherical choir and the concrete municipal tower by Alessandro Mendini.
The little country town of Gibellina, situated near Salemi, suffered such extensive earthquake damage in 1968 that the decision was made to rebuild Gibellina Nuova 20km/12mi further west.
Well-known architects, sculptors and painters such as Vittorio Gregotti, Alessandro Mendini, Renato Guttuso, Pietro Consagra, Giuseppe Spagnulo, Alberto Burri, Mimmo Rotella and Andrea Cascella were engaged. From their plans developed a controversial drawing-board town, its character created by the most modern type of architecture and sculpture, which has very little in common with either Sicily or with the landscape and the way of life of the inhabitants.
The town is entered by the gigantic "Porta di Ferra" which was designed by Pietro Consagra (1980, from nirosta steel). Next to the town hall stands the grotesque-looking church of "La grande Sfera" with a spherical choir and the concrete municipal tower by Alessandro Mendini.
Gibellina Il Cretto
The rubble of the old town of Gibellina was buried by the sculptor Alberto Burri under white cement. Pathways 1.5m/5ft high follow the course of the streets of the former village, criss-crossing this thought-provoking memorial which is known as "Il Cretto" (= the crack).
Museo Civico d'Arte Contemporanea
In the Museo Civico d'Arte Contemporanea there are works by many contemporary artists on display. Especially impressive is the memorial to the earthquake of 1968, which Francesco Venezia created by reconstructing the facade of a palazzo destroyed in the disaster.
Poggioreale, Italy
(Near Gibellina Nuova)
Near the little village of Poggioreale (400m/1,312ft; 7km/4mi east of Gibellina) above the valley of the Belice there are new excavations in progress. The walls that have been uncovered so far and other finds prove that the settlement was under Punic domination from the fourth century B.C.
