Franco Battiato's Villa Grazia in Milo may become a museum

Plans to turn Franco Battiato's home, Villa Grazia in Milo, into a museum have stalled a year after the Sicilian Cultural Heritage Authority initiated proceedings to declare it a site of cultural interest. The villa, where Battiato composed songs like 'Giubbe Rosse' and lived his final years, was intended to become a 'Museo della Musica' to preserve his legacy. Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign by the Pro Loco di Milo aims to raise €100,000 for a life-size bronze statue of Battiato and Lucio Dalla, designed by Gianfranco La Pira and cast by Placido Calì at Fonderia Nolana. The statue will be placed in Piazza Belvedere in Milo in August 2022. The initiative is supported by the Fondazione Lucio Dalla and the mayor of Milo, Alfio Cosentino, who also established the Comitato Milo e Franco Battiato to create a foundation for safeguarding Battiato's sites.