The warning from Italia Nostra: "Never again should there be devastation like in 1966. Discoveries at waterworks sites should serve as a lesson."

It's not just pipes and excavations for the new water network. Under the blows of pickaxes and the lifting of the old asphalt, Agrigento is rediscovering its oldest soul. What was supposed to be a simple infrastructure maintenance has turned into a journey back in time, bringing to light treasures that confirm the extraordinary stratification of the "most beautiful city of mortals."

A virtuous model: development and protection hand in hand

Italia Nostra Sicilia, through the voice of regional president Nella Tranchina and the head of the Agrigento branch, Adele Falcetta, expresses strong appreciation for how the archaeological emergency is being managed. The political and technical data is significant: the findings are not blocking progress.

"We are witnessing a virtuous example of preventive archaeology – the association explains – that demonstrates how infrastructure development and heritage protection can and must proceed together thanks to the constant coordination of the Superintendency."

The map of treasures: from the Middle Ages to the Greeks

The evidence uncovered outlines a picture of exceptional scientific relevance that spans the centuries:

Hydraulic systems: stratifications that tell how the city managed water through the ages.

Craftsmanship: productive areas dedicated to ceramic processing.

Funerary archaeology: Greek necropolises with monumental tombs that still preserve traces of original painted decorations.

Medieval traces: Structures that restore dignity to portions of the city that have been sacrificed for too long by reckless urban development.

The warning from Italia Nostra: "Never again like in 1966"

The call to historical memory is strong. Italia Nostra brings attention back to the reports of the Martuscelli Commission which, in the aftermath of the tragic landslide of 1966, pointed out the reckless management of the territory. "Today's discoveries are a warning: it is no longer tolerable to build on the past without knowing and respecting it," emphasize Tranchina and Falcetta. The lesson of the past is clear: the land beneath the feet of the Agrigentines is not just mud and rock, but a stratified identity.

The challenge: towards musealization

Now the most delicate phase begins. Italia Nostra asks the institutions not to limit themselves to cataloging, but to focus on enhancement. The goal is to transform these findings into a comprehensive project for public enjoyment. The appeal is direct: to turn a technical intervention on underground utilities into a driver of cultural and tourism growth, making these testimonies accessible where possible, even through forms of in situ musealization.

“Agrigento teaches once again – concludes the note from Italia Nostra – that heritage protection is not an obstacle to development, but its most valuable component. Under the asphalt, there is not just soil, there is our future.”