The dark side of an idyllic island
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Sicily is viewed as an Mediterranean island paradise by the hoards of tourists who flock their every year, but for many of those who live there this idyllic image does not ring true. A new initiative allows visitors to find out what daily life is like in one of the poorest areas of the capital.
Poverty will be on the agenda when the European Council meets in Brussels later this week. More than one in every six people in Europe lives in below the breadline and the EU has dedicated this year to raising awareness of the plight of Europe’s poor.
Sicily is one area that has a long history of poverty. At the beginning of the 20th century, the situation was so bad that over a million Sicilians chose to leave the island and seek a new life in the United States.
Nowadays it is still one of the poorest regions of Italy and in the current economic crisis the situation is not improving. Unemployment among young people on the island is close to 40 percent, and that is without counting the illegal immigrants.
Palermo's historic Albergheria quarter encapsulates the contrasts of life on the island. It has beautiful baroque buildings and grand palazzos, but also dank, overcrowded housing and bombed out buildings - still awaiting repair 65 years after World War II - that provide shelter for squatters.
One local travel agency has hit on the idea of offering travellers an alternative view of Italy - a break from the usual art galleries and gondola rides. For a donation of €3 it offers tours of Albergheria, by taking them on tours of the poor but vibrant district.
The tour donations go towards job training programme run by the local church and visitors are welcomed with open arms. Father Cosimo Scordato supports the initiative, which he says contributes to the church's attempt to help residents help themselves and steer clear of the organised crime that the island is known for.
"We are creating alternatives to free the residents from the need to depend on others. One of the most wonderful things we’re doing is the tour. Visits that allow tourists to know the smells, flavors, the faces, the atmosphere of the quarter. The visitors are welcomed with open arms," he says.
