Plans for an airport near the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento were abandoned last year after protests about the amount of destruction of natural features that such a project would entail.
It was estimated that around 106 small houses would have been bulldozed to make way for the runway. Concerns were also expressed about moving so much earth in a seismic area as 2,050 million square metres of ground would have been dug up during the preparations.
When Enac, Italy’s national aviation authority, halted the project in October 2008, the Provincial President, Eugenio D’Orsi, stated that the airport would be built elsewhere in the area and now it seems that this is what will happen.
Yesterday the Regional Government announced that 30 million euros of European funding have been earmarked for a new airport infrastructure for the Aeroporto Agrigento – Valle dei Templi and this is thought to be largely due to the efforts of the tenacious Mr D’Orsi. Local politicians hope that the airport will end Agrigento’s “geographical marginality”, making it easier for tourists to reach, and bring jobs to the area but the plans remain contentious.
The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily is one of the world’s most important and best preserved Greek sites and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
Do you think an airport should be built so near this ancient site?
