New inhabitants for the re-use of historical territories in South-eastern Sicily

Abstract

In spite of the multifaceted criticalities that characterise the Sicilian territory, South-eastern Sicily appears to be of particular interest due to the active role that distinguishes it from the rest of the Island. The transformation processes taking place in South-eastern Sicily, in fact, seem guided by new perspectives of sustainability, local development and good governance. The mix obtained from the extraordinary amount of tangible and intangible resources, from some favourable socio-cultural circumstances and from the creation of new transportation infrastructures, has contributed to promoting new forms of reuse of the historical building heritage by Italian and overseas investors who have purchased prestigious properties in the historic centres and in the agricultural areas of the Ibleo hinterland, triggering unexpected processes of economic revitalisation.