A MODEL TO IDENTIFY NEW VALUES AND FUNCTIONS FOR SICILIAN MINING SITES. THE CASE STUDY OF PASQUASIA

Over the years, mining operations in Sicily saw a gradual decline until this activity was abandoned altogether. The closure of most of the mines in Sicily meant the loss of work for an entire sector of the economy, as well as the consequent degradation of the extractive structures and of the landscape of the territories in which they were located. Today, the former mine sites often feature in the local news in Sicily for the degradation of the facilities, and for the risk that they may be utilised by local criminals for their illicit activities. This study proposes an evaluation process to identify the general scenario, focussing on the area of the former potassium mines of Pasquasia, in the Province of Enna, as a case study to synthesise new values and functions for the site, and for the environmental, landscaping, social, historical, and cultural regeneration of the territory.