After the epic battle of Lepanto in 1571, Sicily, Calabria and Puglia became Europe’s backwater. The Spanish and Ottoman Empires were exhausted from 100 years of intense fighting and accepted a draw, the massive Spanish fortifications program deterred the occasional corsair attacks and the Spanish ban on exporting agricultural products to Muslim countries stifled Southern Italy’s economy. For centuries, life remained stuck in the 16th century. The only organizations with money were the church and the state.
Royal Airforce Bombing Raids during WW2 - there was much Bombing on Sicily's east coast
All this changed on 10th of July 1943 when the thunder of big guns woke up the Sicilians on the island’s south coast. 350 years after large scale hostilities had ceased, the US 7th Army and Montgomery’s 8th Army landed on Sicily's shores to liberate the island.
Canadian tanks advancing through Sicily
Six weeks of fierce fighting followed, particularly in the coastal towns of Catania and Messina which occupied blocking positions. Other town like Syracuse or Taormina remained largely unaffected. By the 17th of August, the two allied armies arrived in Sicily’s north-eastern corner, just across mainland Italy.
The 6 weeks campaign to liberate Sicily in July and August 1943
The heavy fighting resulted in considerable damage along the island’s east coast. Bombing and shelling destroyed many towns, villages, harbors, and airports. Whilst the damage is repaired, the gaps are still visible. 1960s style constructions alter with beautiful Baroque and Renaissance buildings.
British M-4 tanks enter Catania through Via Garibaldi
Calabria and Puglia suffered less. The British 8th Army landed on 3rd September in Reggio di Calabria, opposite Messina. Within 10 days, they reached Taranto. The German Wehrmacht fought a retreating battle blowing up bridges to slow down the Canadian advance. There was relatively little close combat.
A rare photo of the amphibious landing of the British Paratroopers in Taranto
As a result, Calabria’s and Puglia’s towns survived the war in far better shape. We will immediately see the contrast to Sicily. On our journey from Syracuse to Taranto we follow the path of Montgomery’s 8th Army who beat Field Marshal Rommel at the battle of El Alamein.
It took only 10 days to reach Taranto from Reggio di Calabria
As in other Mediterranean countries, the onset of tourism in the 1960s did as much damage as the fighting in the Second World War. The temptation of making a quick buck was too big to resist and nobody had the funds to restore old buildings. Many old neighborhoods were torn down to make space for new, ugly hotels. Mediterranean concrete had arrived!
Beach Hotels in Crotone in Calabria
By the 1990s people became wiser and started to protect their heritage. Sadly, protection alone does not preserve towns and buildings. There is not enough money to repair the normal decay. With the lowest GDP and salary level in all of Italy, people do not have the funds to look after their old family homes, the Italian State is not rich enough to step in and foreign buyers stay away giving the high rate of burglary. The towns look picturesque from a certain distance. But not when you get closer. I hope this vicious cycle will be broken once but I am skeptical whether the necessary reforms will ever be enacted.
Comentarios