Enna Mayor Crisafulli addresses depopulation at ALI Festival

Mirello Crisafulli, the Mayor of Enna, addressed the Festival of Italian Local Autonomy Cities (ALI) in Rome to highlight the challenges facing Italy’s internal areas. During a panel titled ‘A city sized for home’, Crisafulli emphasized the struggle of regions facing significant emigration and depopulation.

Crisafulli reported that Enna has lost approximately 5,000 residents over the last decade, averaging a loss of 500 people per year. He attributed this trend to a lack of growing productive activities and insufficient regional political support for Sicily’s internal areas. He noted that despite the availability of significant regional financial resources and housing funds, a comprehensive plan has yet to be implemented.

In addition to depopulation, the Mayor identified a secondary issue: the migration of residents from urban centers to the outskirts and peripheries. This movement risks the abandonment of entire neighborhoods and the loss of architectural heritage, while simultaneously making it more difficult to provide essential services to those living outside the city center. Crisafulli proposed urban regeneration and the active role of public housing institutions as primary solutions.