Sicily heritage sites receive PNRR funding while facing oversight lapses

In Sciacca, the Soprintendenza ai Beni Culturali di Agrigento is completing conservation and safety work on the churches of Santa Maria dello Spasimo and San Francesco di Paola. The projects are funded with €2.2 million from the national PNRR programme, including €1 million for San Francesco di Paola and an additional €200 000 for roof repairs funded by the Sciacca municipality. Inspector Ignazio Perrone and honorary heritage inspector Giuseppe Cattano are overseeing the restorations.

In Siracusa’s historic centre of Ortigia, a formal complaint has been lodged with the prosecutor, the Guardia di Finanza, the Soprintendenza and the municipal authorities. The exposé alleges that renovation work at Via Vittorio Veneto (numbers 175‑177) is proceeding without the required construction signage and may involve unauthorised structural changes to a protected building. The Committee for Parks and Heritage calls for an urgent inspection, highlighting gaps in urban‑planning oversight, missing permits and potential safety risks to the historic fabric.