Famous Scala Dei Turchi In Sicily Becomes Public Domain
The Scala dei Turchi, a white rock in the Agrigento province, one of Sicily’s most famous and photographed tourist sites, has been “donated” to the municipality of Realmonte after years of legal wrangling. As paradoxically as it may seem, this unique piece of magnificent Sicilian nature was divided between the municipality of Realmonte and the private owner Ferdinando Sciabarra, a retired former employee of the Agrigento Chamber of Commerce, who donated his share to the municipality.
According to Sicilian newspapers, “Sciabarra claimed ownership of the rock on the basis of nineteenth-century cadastral documents. However, an investigation was opened against him for the seizure of state land, and he was sentenced to pay a fine of 13,600 euros.” Nevertheless, by virtue of a 2021 decree, ownership of the rock was divided between the municipality of Realmonte and Sciabarra, who, faced with pressure from public opinion, declared that – much to the satisfaction of Sicilian environmentalists – “he is ready to relinquish his share and transfer it to the municipality in exchange for the institutions’ commitment to create a nature reserve.”
Realmonte Mayor Sabrina Lattuca and the environmental association MareAmico called Sciabarra’s decision “an act of extraordinary generosity.”
Once the transfer of ownership is formalized, the decision should be made on how the property would be managed. It has been suggested that a special fund would be created, bringing together the municipality of Realmonte, the Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples), the territorial university center of Agrigento, and the Free Provincial Consortium. There is also discussion about creating a single entry ticket that would allow visitors to access the Scala dei Turchi and the Roman Villa Durrueli, also located in Realmonte.
Scala dei Turchi is a marl rock, a clayey and calcareous sedimentary formation with a distinctive white color. The name refers to its “resemblance to a great staircase,” consisting of steps sculpted over centuries by wind and waves, and to the belief that Saracen pirates, mistakenly called “Turks” by the local population, were using it in the 16th century as a landing site for invasions of the island. In fact, the rock is located in a windless area, and pirates used it to shelter their ships. Nowadays, Scala dei Turchi has become one of the main tourist attractions in the province of Agrigento and throughout Sicily.
