ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 174

Introduction - The case of Cianciana in Province of Agrigento - Sicily Cianciana is a municipality in the province of Agrigento in Sicily, it is rich in history and natural beauty. This picturesque town is a special case of urban regeneration and environmental sustainability. The history of Cianciana is linked to the presence of sulfur mines and the river Platani, which over time have played an important role for the whole community (fig.1) (Sanzeri, 2007). The City of Cianciana seemed destined to be abandoned for the closure of the mine but thanks to a virtuous strategy to promote tourism in the area ciancianese since 2002 the urban center is undergoing a major tourist flow: “A case that is attracting the attention of publications over the world. A small town inland back to life thanks to foreigners: Cianciana, 3500 souls to 450 meters above the sea, in the province of Agrigento (table 1). A municipality that seemed destined to disappear gradually after the closure of the mines (when the inhabitants were over 10 thousand) and instead returned to growth. The empty houses were purchased by the British, Danish, French, Polish, American, Russian. But also Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian. And today foreigners make up 10 percent of the population (...). “ Cianciana has become an attractive international thanks to the natural and cultural resources in the area but also for the high quality of the environment. “To attract foreigners are the rhythms of life (...) Figure 1: Municipality of Cianciana (Agrigento) Table 1: Historical table (P.Sanzeri) 172 Table 2: Project of urban redevelopment ZEMCH 2015 | Int ernational Conference | Bari - Lecce, Italy