Gibellina and Poggioreale: Art and Regeneration After the 1968 Earthquake

The 1968 Belice Valley earthquake destroyed the towns of Gibellina, Poggioreale, and Salaparuta in Sicily. Gibellina was rebuilt 10 km away as a new town with modernist architecture and public art, while the ruins of the old town were entombed in 1985 under Alberto Burri's Cretto, a vast white concrete land art work. Poggioreale's old town remained as ruins on Monte Castellazzo, and from June 10-14, 2026, the iART festival animated the site with installations and performances. In Gibellina Nuova, after two generations, residents have come to identify with the visionary city, which features works by Ludovico Quaroni, Mendini, Consagra, Schifano, Pomodoro, and Isgrò. Gibellina was named the first Italian Capital of Contemporary Art for 2026. A performance titled 'Battiti al Cretto' by Federika Ponnetti involved participants amplifying their heartbeats on the Cretto as an act of reconciliation.