This article of mine was published in Italy Magazine yesterday. As Agrigento is one of my favourite places in Sicily, I am publishing the article here too:
Plans for an airport near the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento were abandoned last year after protests about the amount of destruction of natural features that such a project would entail. It was estimated that around 106 small houses would have been bulldozed to make way for the runway. Concerns were also expressed about moving so much earth in a seismic area as 2,050 million square metres of ground would have been dug up during the preparations. When Enac, Italy’s national aviation authority, halted the project in October 2008, the Provincial President, Eugenio D’Orsi, stated that the airport would be built elsewhere in the area and now it seems that this is what will happen.
Yesterday the Regional Government announced that 30 million euros of European funding have been earmarked for a new airport infrastructure for the Aeroporto Agrigento – Valle dei Templi and this is thought to be largely due to the efforts of the tenacious Mr D’Orsi. Local politicians hope that the airport will end Agrigento’s “geographical marginality”, making it easier for tourists to reach, and bring jobs to the area but the plans remain contentious.
The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily is one of the world’s most important and best preserved Greek sites and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
I'd love to know what readers of this blog think about plans to build an airport so near this ancient site.
11 comments:
Thanks for sharing your article. I am for protecting the wonderful site of Valley of the Temples at whatever cost. Maybe to strong a stance?
While I fully sympathise with the need to bring visitors (and money) into a marginalised area, my purely personal feelings are that there are too many airports everywhere and too many people rush around all over the world. I also believe that antiquities are important. They give us a sense of our position in time, and should not be endangered.
I have very mixed feelings about this: while I can see that it would create jobs and make Agrigento more accessible, the area is one of the most important classical sites in the Mediterranean and seems to me already to be accessed by thousands annually who are brought here by tour operators. The last 15 years have seen the area around Agrigento change greatly, with the construction of ill-planned roads and housing and the proximity of an airport would possibly make things even worse. Tourists hoping to find an unspoilt site in open country have already lost that chance, so if the project brings more prosperity, why not. It would certainly provide better transport for Sicilians living in the southeast and along the south coast.
Surely there are alternatives that would accomplish the goals of making Agrigento and the wonderful ruins more accessible to visitors. I would vote for a train line rather than an airport. That is, fly into a Scilian city such as Palermo and take a train from there to Agrigento. Why? railroads would preserve more of the countryside and allow travelers to actually see that countryside. Rail travel is much less of a hassle than air travel. Trains are not as noisy as airplanes. Trains can be a very civilized way to travel. Trains can also deliver travelers much closer to the goal than airplanes. Oh well, I just like trains.
I think the plans for an airport at such an historic site would are so foolhardy.
Surely this can't happen near such a deeply historic site.
No doubt, all in the cause of greed!
Di.x
I think an airport will completely spoil the area.
Actually, I'd like to know your views.
Sadly I did not get to visit Agrigento so I am unable to offer an opinion as to the viability of the project without causing damage to the world heritage site.
Hopefully if it goes ahead they will make good choices.
Thanks, Lost. I think a strong stance is necessary. Whatever it takes to protect it. Hi, Dragonstar. I agree with you about antiquities. Hi, Sally. Yes, better roads and better access to Agrigento within Sicily are needed and it may take the building of an airport to achieve this. But the pollution aspect worries me. Hi, Flutterby. Yes, an efficient train line would help but I 'm not sure many people would use it in the summer heat. Hi, Trubes. I don't think it's greed. People are desperate for jobs in Sicily. Hi, Cherie. I think I agree with you. Hi, jmb. Let's hope so. Well, Jmaes, I can see all the reasons for building an airport there. But one of the reasons the Greek temples there are so wonderful is that they have suffered little pollution. An airport is bound to bring more of this as well as tourists. So on the whole I think the money should be spent on improving access to the area from within Sicily.
It looks so beautiful and I would love to see it for myself one day.
Hi, Ellee. To me Agrigento and Florence are the most beautiful places on earth. You really will have to book that flight!
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