Discover the story of Borgo Guttadauro, the Sicilian ghost town shaped by Fascist-era architecture, neglect, and the possibility of a new tourist future

Text and Photos by Marco Crupi

The abandoned church of Borgo Guttadauro, now engulfed by vegetation and marked by time.

Borgo Guttadauro is one of the most striking examples of rural villages built in Sicily during the Fascist period. Originally created as part of a large-scale reclamation and colonization project aimed at revitalizing the Sicilian countryside, today the village stands abandoned—a place where its once-ambitious past collides with present-day decay. In recent years, several proposals have emerged to restore and repurpose the site, raising hopes that it could become a valuable historical and tourist destination.

Borgo Guttadauro was named after Emanuele Guttadauro, a soldier from Gela who was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor for his sacrifice during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. The choice to name the village after a fallen war hero reflects the propagandistic nature of the Fascist regime, which sought to honor its martyrs through public works and agricultural settlements.

Borgo Guttadauro was part of an ambitious agricultural development plan promoted by King Vittorio Emanuele III, aimed at reclaiming and cultivating the Gela Plain. This initiative called for the construction of eight rural settlements to transform Sicily into a major agricultural hub, encouraging rural colonization through the creation of self-sufficient villages.

The village was established in the Case Cammarata district on land owned by brothers Francesco and Fulvio Camerata, sons of Baron Salvatore Camerata of Piazza Armerina. Architect Gaetano Averna designed the project in 1940, with official approval granted on June 20 of the same year. The construction contract was awarded on November 5, 1940, in Palermo at the headquarters of the Sicilian Land Reclamation Agency (ECLS). The winning bid came from Ferrobeton, a Roman construction firm, which signed the contract on January 29, 1941.

The project was highly ambitious, envisioning a fully equipped settlement that would serve as a vital hub for local farmers. Planned facilities included:

• A church with an adjoining rectory
• A school with housing for the teacher
• The mayor’s office
• A post office
• A Carabinieri barracks
• A medical clinic
• A trattoria with lodging accommodations
• Offices for the Land Reclamation Agency
• Shops and businesses
• An electrical substation

The village was designed to boost agriculture in the area, which historically produced wheat, legumes, cotton, and various fruit crops. To support this, the Disueri artificial lake was created to improve water distribution for farmers and livestock breeders, with the aim of revitalizing local pastoral activities.

Construction began in 1941 but was abruptly halted in 1943 due to the Allied invasion of Sicily, which significantly delayed the village’s completion.

After World War II, efforts were made to complete the village through various contracts and revisions to the original plan. In 1962, politician Salvo Lima pushed for its revitalization, but results remained limited.

In 1971, Borgo Guttadauro was officially assigned to the municipality of Butera in the hope that it could be integrated into the local agricultural network.

Despite attempts to maintain the village, Borgo Guttadauro fell into rapid decline. In the 1970s, nuns from the Order of Saint Anne settled in the village, and for a brief period, it even hosted a school. However, poor administrative management and the ongoing depopulation of rural Sicily led to its complete abandonment by the mid-1980s.

Today, Borgo Guttadauro is in a state of complete neglect. With no maintenance, the buildings have been looted over the years and now pose serious structural risks. The church, once one of the village’s most significant landmarks, partially collapsed between 2004 and 2005.

Despite its decay, the village remains a fascinating destination for those interested in exploring the remnants of 20th-century rural colonization. In 2020, Sicilian Regional President Nello Musumeci announced a plan to rehabilitate the site as a tourist attraction, but no concrete actions have been taken so far.

In 2024, the municipality of Butera put Borgo Guttadauro up for auction at a starting price of €716,000, hoping to attract private investors willing to restore the site. However, no bids were submitted.

Among the various proposals for its revival, one particularly stands out: the “Agro-Village” project, designed by architects Antonuccio, Scoglio, and Di Fede. Their vision involves transforming the abandoned village into a sustainable agricultural center and agritourism destination.

Whether this plan—or any other—will bring Borgo Guttadauro back to life remains uncertain. But for now, it stands as a ghostly reminder of a grand vision lost to time.