Orazio La Monaca: Building Against the Mafia in Castelvetrano

Orazio La Monaca has revitalized Castelvetrano in Sicily through a series of public and private initiatives on properties taken from the mafia. In 2001, the local government opted to repurpose confiscated lands for new municipal offices, a courthouse, carabinieri barracks, and a church. La Monaca, alongside Santo Giunta, Leonardo Tilotta, and Simone Titone, secured the masterplan competition. The resulting municipal offices received global acclaim, showcased at the Venice Biennale. Mayor Gianni Pompeo (2001-2012) endorsed additional projects, including a piazza system by Pasquale Culotta and Giuseppe Guerrera, a competition for Triscina square won by Maurizio Oddo, and a design by Giuseppe Carta. La Monaca later collaborated with French architect Odile Decq for a tourist port in Marinella di Selinunte and initiated an open competition for young architects, culminating in the annual Architects Meet in Selinunte, featuring renowned figures like Daniel Libeskind and Mario Bellini. He also pursued private hospitality ventures, including three hotels for entrepreneur Orazio Torrente, illustrating that quality architecture can thrive in challenging environments like Castelvetrano, not just in cities like Basel or Zurich.