Arcipelago Italia. Calabrian and Sicilian Apennines, Sardinia

We have visited almost the entire country, save for Italy’s two largest islands. Departing from the toe of the boot along the Calabrian and Sicilian Apennines, and crossing the Strait of Messina, we find a movement toward urban regeneration thanks to which spaces and entire places enter the collective memory. This embrace of rehabilitation discourages their abandonment. The project of the bench in the city of Noto enhances the public space, while Casa Ecs in Scicli is gracefully embedded in the terrain. In Western Sicily, Favara is a catalyst of renewal processes such as the Alba Palace Hotel and the Quid Vicololuna. The restoration of the former San Domenico convent restitutes a space to the community, much like the auditorium in San Cataldo, where inside a private bank, a space with a civic character was created. History brings us to the Teatro di Andromeda, where a blend of art and culture comes to the fore, and to the island of Favignana, where old quarries now host paying guests.

Across the Tyrrhenian Sea in Sardinia, we find a renewed bus-stop shelter that with minimal effort has become a restful frame from which to enjoy a view of the landscape dominated by the Gennargentu massif. The appreciation of heritage stems from a feeling of rootedness by those who must take care of it. The Casa dell’Artista initiative proposes territorial regeneration based on listening to forgotten communities. Our itinerary comes to a close with a highly symbolic project in the Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park, where a revamped Savoy fort has become a monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi.

This article is part of “Arcipelago Italia” , a supplement dedicated to the Italian Pavilion, attached to Domus 1025, June 2018.