The wheels turn with pedal strokes in front of the remains of the tomb of Scipio Africanus. Children wave balloons, ribbons and pink pompoms on the lakeside promenade Homeland. The cyclists stop in Giugliano. Liternum enchants viewers and greets the Tour of Italy. But above all the degradation. This time forever. Sunday 12 May. Images that have left their mark on many residents of the Giugliano area who for years had given up walking along the lake shore and visiting the remains of the city of exile of Scipio Africanus.
On Sunday, on the 214 kilometers of the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia, the runners and enthusiasts saw Liternum and its park between the sea and the lake. The commentator focused at length on the images taken also from above. No small effect given that as many as two hundred TVs around the world were connected to watch the runners compete for the stage. And here, next to the images of cyclists pedaling on the Domiziana, Giugliano stretch, those of the archaeological park of Liternum are shown. The ruins of the maritime colony and the reclaimed lakeside. The land of Scipio Africanus, the amphitheater of Liternum, the Via Domitiana and the Roman baths. History has passed there, but many, too many abuses have also passed. For this reason the Municipality is developing a plan for night and day surveillance by entrusting the service to a specialized company equipped with modern electronic equipment.
Places
Before the inauguration of the archaeological-naturalistic park which took place last May 5th in the presence of the governor Vincenzo De Luca, Liternum was essentially a huge illegal landfill. Rubbish, brushwood and buildings to be demolished characterized the city that welcomed the triumphant Zama in the last years of his life. An outrage against history, which prompted the mayor of Giugliano Nicola Pirozzi and the Campania Region to obtain its reclamation and redevelopment.
Four months of work, one entirely dedicated to waste removal. Two million Pics funds. These were the times and costs necessary to create what Vincenzo De Luca defined as «the most beautiful park in Campania».
Seventy thousand square meters of greenery equipped with nature trails, fitness areas and piers for docking canoes. But also archaeological observation points. «It was an anthropized area in a disorderly manner – explains the architect Dario Bracci, designer of the park -. There were abandoned fishing shacks and horse stables. The first step was to remove everything. Then we created a nature trail among the remains of ancient Liternum. Modeled on the orography of the ground, the walk approaches the discovered ruins allowing them to be viewed in safety. We have created a park that allows various uses: family walks, walks of naturalistic or archaeological interest and sports walks including fitness trails and canoe docking. But it also encourages the possibility of cultural aggregation thanks to the open-air theatre.”
The rehabilitation
In the relaunch project, a lot of attention was also paid to the regeneration of greenery. Mortified by the neglect of the years, the arrangement of the flora was entrusted to the horticultural company «Nicola Maisto», one of the most appreciated companies in Italy, which for decades has looked after monumental gardens and parks such as the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Royal Palace in Naples and other tourist attraction sites such as Capri.
«Last September the cleanup began – he explains Nicola Maisto, manager of the horticultural company, same name as the grandfather who founded the company – We removed rubbish, residues that washed up on the lake and infesting reeds. Then electrical, surveillance and irrigation systems were created. Finally, the typical flowers of the Mediterranean scrub were planted. Two hundred different species of trees and plants, which will multiply over time. Constant maintenance will be important, which we will take care of for the next six months.”
Precisely on that regenerated green, many children and citizens rejoiced last Sunday as the cyclists passed by. Happy. Sign of a complete rebirth. And so, written on billboards and shouted by everyone. And the party continues.
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