The Belice Valley and contemporary art as a vision of a new future

Among the hills of southwestern Sicily lies the Belice Valley, a territory that, after the devastating earthquake of 1968, has become a symbol of rebirth and regeneration. From that tragedy emerged a unique creative and cultural process in Italy: a journey through contemporary art, architecture, and landscape that has transformed the scars of the past into a true open-air museum.

This itinerary will take you through one of the most extraordinary examples of dialogue between memory and vision, where internationally renowned artists, urban planners, and architects reshaped and redefined a wounded land, turning it into one of the most evocative places in Sicily.
Thanks to the efforts of visionary figures like Ludovico Corrao, mayor of Gibellina in the 1970s, the Belice Valley today boasts one of the highest densities of contemporary art and architecture in Italy. Monumental installations, museums, public squares, and land art works tell the story of a community that found a way to reinvent itself.

Gibellina Nuova and the open-air museum

The journey begins in Gibellina Nuova, easily accessible from the A29 Palermo–Mazara del Vallo motorway. Greeting visitors is the majestic Stella by Pietro Consagra, the symbolic gateway to the “new” city. Here you’ll find iconic architectural works such as the Mother Church by Ludovico Quaroni, the Town Hall Square by Vittorio Gregotti and Giuseppe Samonà, and the urban layout designed by Franco Purini and Laura Thermes.

Don’t miss the MAC – Museum of Contemporary Art of Gibellina, which holds over 2,000 works by Italian and international artists, including Carla Accardi, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Mario Schifano, and Consagra himself. The entire city is conceived as a widespread museum, where art pieces interact with the urban space.

The Grande Cretto: memory and land Art

Just a few kilometers away, at the site of the old town of Gibellina destroyed by the earthquake, stands one of the most monumental land art works in the world: the Grande Cretto by Alberto Burri. Begun in 1984, this environmental artwork covers the ruins of the former town with white cement casts, transforming the remains into a place of memory, silence, and reflection.

Salaparuta and Poggioreale: new towns and public Art

Heading east, you’ll encounter the new towns of Salaparuta and Poggioreale, rebuilt after the abandonment of the original villages. In Salaparuta, Piazza Ricostruzione, designed by Francesco Venezia, stands out, along with rationalist-style architecture that characterizes the entire town.

In Poggioreale Nuova, contemporary art finds expression in Piazza Elimo by Paolo Portoghesi, inspired by the shape of a Greek agora. Nearby, the former bus terminal—now an exhibition space—houses a striking Murano glass nativity scene by Pippo Madè. Completing the urban landscape are the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua and a contemporary building by Purini and Thermes—authentic examples of dialogue between architecture and the surrounding landscape.

Santa Margherita di Belice and Montevago: Between Literature and Street Art

Crossing into the province of Agrigento, you’ll reach Santa Margherita di Belice, the town of The Leopard (Il Gattopardo). Here, you can visit the Museum of Memory, housed in the surviving nave of the old Mother Church, preserving the memory of the earthquake. Not far away, Montevago’s “Park of Ruins” has become a site dedicated to urban art, with murals and installations that reinterpret the past.

Partanna, Santa Ninfa, and Salemi: Architecture and New Urban Spaces

Back in the Trapani area, Partanna and Santa Ninfa feature notable examples of rationalist and religious architecture, such as the Mother Church designed by Paolo Di Stefano.
The final stop is Salemi, one of The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, where a project by Álvaro Siza and Roberto Collovà transformed the ruins of the Mother Church into Piazza Alicia, a powerful dialogue between past and present.

Useful Information

🧭This itinerary spans several towns in the Belice Valley and can be explored by car over several days. It is advisable to plan visits according to the opening times of museums and exhibition spaces.

🚧 Important Safety Note: Some areas—such as abandoned historic centers and ruins parks—may have unstable or restricted access zones. Caution is strongly recommended: respect signage and closures, and, if possible, rely on certified local guides for a safer and more in-depth visit.