Musica, turismo e territorio: l’uso dei maggiori teatri antichi in Sicilia

Sicily, for centuries considered the crossroads of cultures and populations, is still keeping nowadays a close relationship between ancient and contemporary cultural traits, a bound that was born from the observation of the phenomenon of cultural tourism and, in this specific case, musical tourism. The research focuses on the territories of Agrigento, Messina and Syracuse where the network of ancient stone theatres becomes thicker hosting theatrical and often musical performances, becoming not just a setting but also part and parcel, considered the technical and functional features of their original intended use. In these areas we can observe the development of the musical tourism phenomenon, early framed in a broader regional context, to focus on the archaeological parks of Taormina, of the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento and of Syracuse. Despite the available data are not systematic and homogeneous, the analysis made on tourist flows highlights the intensity of the access of the places, an intensity which on the one hand represents the musical tourism phenomenon observed, and on the other hand leads us to reason on the criticality considered in research, especially in comparison to the theatre of Syracuse: the sustainability of the prolonged use of the “stone”, in relation to its protection and conservation. A dilemma with forced answers in regulatory and policy measures, but also in the mediation of the many stakeholders involved.