Italy's strangest art town is getting a second chance
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Gibellina, a Sicilian town rebuilt in the 1970s as an art utopia after a devastating earthquake, is set to become Italy’s first Capital of Contemporary Art in 2026, hosting a year-long programme of exhibitions, performances, and artist residencies aimed at revitalizing its neglected postmodern buildings and artworks.
- The town features iconic but unfinished and often neglected structures like the Teatro by Pietro Consagra, which is being prepared to reopen as an exhibition space, symbolizing the broader effort to transform Gibellina from a static open-air museum into a living cultural experiment.
- Despite its rich artistic heritage, Gibellina has struggled with depopulation and underuse of public spaces due to its radical urban design and lack
