Africo: the ghost town of Aspromonte between memory and neglect

Africo Vecchio, a ghost town in Calabria's Aspromonte mountains, was abandoned after the 1951 flood. Its ruins, including the church of San Salvatore and the school named after Umberto Zanotti Bianco, are being reclaimed by nature. The town's dual identity contrasts the impoverished mountain village with the coastal Africo Nuovo, where Jeff Bezos once docked his yacht. The article reflects on whether to preserve the site or let it disappear, noting the lack of signage and the encroaching forest. It highlights the town's history of poverty, earthquakes, and emigration, as well as its literary and cinematic legacy, including works by Vittorio De Seta and Mimmo Calopresti. The piece also mentions the ongoing struggle against organized crime and the risk of the town becoming a mere backdrop for 'ndrangheta fiction.