Ri-vivere il limite: insediamenti fortificati dei Monti Iblei. Il caso studio delle rovine del Castello medievale di Palazzolo Acreide.

This paper proposes a journey of knowledge of the historical landscape of the fortified settlements in the territory of the Monti Iblei, a portion of south-eastern Sicily historically belonging to the larger area of the Val di Noto. Some of these settlements, although located in a context of complex landscape, environmental and cultural value, are characterised by phenomena of abandonment, degradation and present non-ordinary characteristics; in fact, they do not connote themselves as cities, nor as countryside, nor even less as archaeological sites. They live suspended, deprived of a well-defined role not recognised by the community, in a borderline condition, on the edge between the Hyblean plateau and the escarpment, marginalised by the urban context that is alien and lacking in connections. A historical investigation of some exemplary cases is therefore proposed, including the ruins of Noto Antica with the Royal Castle and its walls, culminating with the exploration of the remains of the medieval castle of Palazzolo Acreide. This investigation, developed as part of the thesis research path in urban and landscape design, is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach that analyses the theme of settlement typologies and genius loci, the treatment of ruins and their use, and the relationship with time. The research culminates with the definition of strategies for the reactivation and development of the site under study, thus proposing to give back to the city of Palazzolo Acreide a natural place for sharing beauty, crowning the Castle district and making it an element that generates new tension, capable of triggering a process of revitalisation of the entire village.