Poggioreale is a ghost town located in the Belice Valley of western Sicily, Italy. It was originally a thriving agricultural community, but in 1968, a devastating earthquake struck the region, destroying the town and forcing its residents to relocate to a safer area nearby. The ruins of Poggioreale remain as a haunting reminder of the disaster, with its abandoned streets and buildings frozen in time.
The town's history dates back to 1642, during the Spanish rule of Sicily, when it was established as a small community. Its name, meaning "Royal Hill," reflects its picturesque location at the base of Mount Castellaccio. Over the centuries, Poggioreale grew into a vibrant settlement, but the earthquake marked a turning point, leaving it as one of Italy's most notable ghost towns.
Being volcanic Sicily has a vast amount of earthquakes., most of the roads are wrecked by them. We thought we'd just bump into a goat farmer here but no, an entire fire department, builders, and its the structural engineers who spotted us, not that they said anything. So we didn't get to see it all. I great time capsule but very difficult to navigate as its so overgrown in places and many of the builds would only need a push and they'd go over.
The town's history dates back to 1642, during the Spanish rule of Sicily, when it was established as a small community. Its name, meaning "Royal Hill," reflects its picturesque location at the base of Mount Castellaccio. Over the centuries, Poggioreale grew into a vibrant settlement, but the earthquake marked a turning point, leaving it as one of Italy's most notable ghost towns.
Being volcanic Sicily has a vast amount of earthquakes., most of the roads are wrecked by them. We thought we'd just bump into a goat farmer here but no, an entire fire department, builders, and its the structural engineers who spotted us, not that they said anything. So we didn't get to see it all. I great time capsule but very difficult to navigate as its so overgrown in places and many of the builds would only need a push and they'd go over.
