Gibellina, Rebirth Amidst the Ruins: An Open-Air Museum in the Sicily of Wonders
Art, memory, and landscape: a day in Gibellina with Sicily Car Service
After the long day spent in Mazara del Vallo, Michele and Brigitte woke up rested, thanks to the comfort of our car with driver, capable of transforming even long journeys into a relaxing and pleasant experience.
Today our driver proposes an unusual and deeply fascinating destination: Gibellina, the town that managed to rise from the rubble of the Belice earthquake, transforming itself into one of the greatest examples of contemporary art integrated into the urban landscape.
“A town that has become a museum?” asks Brigitte, curious.
“More than a museum, it's a diffused work of art,” replies Michele. “And I can't wait to discover it with you.”
A journey into the recent history of Sicily
During the journey, our driver recounts with a calm and engaging tone the events that marked the history of Gibellina. On the night between January 14 and 15, 1968, a very violent earthquake devastated the Belice Valley, entirely destroying the inhabited center of Gibellina and causing numerous victims.
“But the town we will visit today is not the original one?” asks Brigitte.
“Exactly,” explains the driver. “The old center was abandoned. Today, only its ruins remain, covered by a monumental work of art. The new Gibellina was rebuilt a few kilometers away and was reborn thanks to the intervention of artists and architects from all over Italy and the world.”
The Cretto by Burri: the wound transformed into memory
The first stop is in the place where the old town stood. There is the Cretto di Burri, one of the most impressive land art works ever created. Realized by the Umbrian artist Alberto Burri between 1985 and 1989 (and completed in 2015), the Cretto is a pour of white concrete that traces the layout of the old streets of Gibellina.
Michele and Brigitte walk slowly through the large cracks that cross the work, as if flipping through the pages of a silent but very powerful book.
“It looks like a shroud laid over the town,” Michele murmurs.
Brigitte nods in silence, visibly moved. “I didn't think pain could become so... beautiful.”
The new Gibellina: a laboratory of urban art
After visiting the Cretto, we head towards Gibellina Nuova, built starting from the 1970s as a symbol of rebirth. The then mayor, Ludovico Corrao, had the visionary idea of calling artists, architects, and intellectuals to contribute to the reconstruction, not only physical but also cultural, of the city.
Among the names that responded to the call are Arnaldo Pomodoro, Pietro Consagra, Franco Purini, Giuseppe Uncini, Emilio Isgrò, Giò Pomodoro, Alighiero Boetti, and many others. Each left their mark on the urban fabric: squares, buildings, sculptures, installations.
“It's not like a traditional museum,” explains our driver as we cross the city. “Here art lives in the open air, it is an integral part of the streets, squares, churches.”
The Gate of Belice and the Mother Church
One of the first works we encounter is the Porta del Belice by Pietro Consagra: a monumental sculpture in steel and concrete that marks the entrance to the city, a symbolic passage between past and future. Brigitte remains fascinated by it.
“It looks like a portal to another world. And it really is.”
A little further on we visit the Chiesa Madre, also signed by Consagra and Purini: a futuristic building, where broken geometries and bold volumes tell a spirituality that is born from trauma and hope.
Michele takes photos at every corner, while Brigitte takes notes in her notebook: “I want to tell my friends in Paris about this city. No one expects this face of Sicily.”
The Museum of Mediterranean Weaving
The tour continues at the Museo delle Trame Mediterranee (Museum of Mediterranean Weaving), housed in Baglio Di Stefano. This museum is not only an exhibition space but also a center of dialogue between Mediterranean cultures. It contains contemporary artworks but also handicraft objects, photographs, and installations.
“It seems like a house of stories to me,” says Brigitte. “Every room tells of a people, a voice, a common past.”
“This is the objective,” replies the driver with a smile. “To make memory and cultural diversity a strong point, just as Gibellina has done with its history.”
A lunch among vines and art
Before leaving the city, we stop at a small restaurant nestled among the vineyards. The menu is simple but authentic: pasta with wild fennel and sardines, pane cunzato, black olives, and Belice wine.
“It was needed,” says Michele, raising his glass. “A toast to the beauty born from the wound.”
The return, between silences and thoughts
The return by car is quiet. Brigitte looks out the window in silence, observing the passing landscape.
“Thank you for bringing us here,” she finally says. “This is the Sicily you don't expect. A Sicily that thinks, that fights, that creates.”
“And you help us discover it,” adds Michele, addressing our driver. “Without the stress of driving, we can really focus on what matters.”
Travel without stress, experience the emotion
With Sicily Car Service, every journey becomes an integral part of the experience. Our comfortable and air-conditioned cars, our experienced and discreet drivers, our love for Sicily make every excursion a moment to remember.
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