In late 2018, scholar Nuccio Mulè called Gela’s archaeological situation a “Caporetto of Mediterranean archaeology,” highlighting how the Sicilian city’s millennial history continues to be neglected despite repeated promises of tourism development. Archaeological sites remain largely inaccessible, deteriorating, and recent discoveries are being reburied rather than preserved or displayed to the public.
The Crisis of Buried Discoveries
Important artefacts emerged during excavations for water-system upgrades commissioned by Caltaqua, but the company intends to cover everything again. Recent finds include a Greek necropolis on via Genova. Mulè wrote to the Ministry for Cultural Heritage, Regional President Nello Musumeci, the regional cultural office, the Caltanissetta superintendency, and commissioner Rosario Arena, expressing dismay at plans to bury the necropolis and replace public access with decorative totems. He noted that UNESCO recommends regular and continuous funding for accidental archaeological discoveries, yet Rome and other cities routinely excavate, conserve, and display findings—while Gela systematically removes them from view.
A Lost Tourism Opportunity
Mulè argues that Gela’s geographic position between Agrigento and Syracuse could make it the centre of Sicily’s organized archaeological tourism, yet the city has been excluded from tourist circuits for nearly half a century. Neglect of monuments and archaeological areas over recent decades has squandered what could have been a crucial economic resource during the territory’s current employment and economic crisis. The Caltanissetta superintendency lacks a resident archaeologist—reportedly unique in Sicily—and needs a restorer to address the considerable number of artefacts stored at Bosco Littorio awaiting proper treatment.
Hidden Catacombs and Trafficking
The problem extends beyond recent excavations. Crypts discovered beneath the Cathedral, Sant’Agostino, San Francesco, Carmine, and San Nicola di Bari during church repaving have been reburied and removed from public heritage. Mulè warns that widespread indifference to local archaeology has made the territory a trafficking hub for illicit artefacts, with hundreds now in world museums and thousands in private collections.
Frequently asked questions
What was Nuccio Mulè’s main criticism?
Mulè criticized the systematic reburial of archaeological discoveries and the lack of institutional support for heritage preservation, contrasting Gela’s approach unfavourably with practices in Rome and other cities where finds are conserved and displayed.
What recent discovery prompted Mulè’s letter to officials?
A Greek necropolis on via Genova uncovered during water-system excavations, which authorities planned to rebury and replace with informational totems rather than make accessible to the public.
How could Gela benefit from its archaeology?
Mulè argued that Gela’s location between Agrigento and Syracuse could position it as the centre of Sicily’s organized archaeological tourism, offering economic opportunity during a period of crisis and reversing its exclusion from regional tourist routes for nearly fifty years.