Piazza d'Arti

Visit to post-earthquake initiatives, 3rd October

Piazza d'Arti is a post-earthquake initiative that was founded at the end of 2009 by around 17 Aquilani associations, as a response to the lack of social and cultural public space in the city at that time. Around the 'piazza' there are several different initiatives, such as a theatre, theatre school, library with associated 'library bus', museum, and a school for disabled children. These focus around cultural and educational activities, mostly for children but also serving the wider population. In the surrounding area, there were built several post-earthquake schools 'M.U.S.P.', which are temporary, pre-fabricated buildings related to the C.A.S.E. and M.A.P. projects.

Piazza d'Arti and the M.U.S.P. schools are located far from the historic centre of L'Aquila - although they are still part of the L'Aquila municipality - 5km away and actually nearer a peripheral comune called Coppito, close to Coppito hospital and university buildings (for the University of L'Aquila). The built fabric of all this area is characterised by pre-fabricated, apparently cheap structures with no clear sense of architectural design. Furthermore, the schools and the Piazza d'Arti are individually surrounded by aggressive, tall steel fences, giving the place a defensive architectural feel which is quite different from the historic centre. I saw no more than 3 or 4 people during the 2 hours or so I spent exploring this new street and these places.

In their own words, from the website http://www.lapiazzaaq.altervista.org:

'Following the terrible earthquake that struck L'Aquila [in 2009], many social realities were broken, and many landmark groups, such as Youth Aquila, failed... In general, the population lives in a state of considerable social and psychological disorientation. One of the projects that has been able to react and respond to the social needs that were gradually emerging is represented by charities - artistic, cultural, and networking - giving proof of the vitality that this community can still express. They were able to implement ongoing initiatives, projects and proposals, that have now given way to the hope for a better future for the city.'

During this visit, I also saw the Piazza d'Armi, which is slightly closer to the historic centre of L'Aquila (2km, and well connected by buses), and features the Chiesa di San Bernardino (see previous blog). This large 'piazza' is also sparse scrub land, with only a post-earthquake sports centre, the church, and a small market - the same market that used to be held permanently in the main piazza of the historic centre. It is unclear why Piazza d'Arti was not located in Piazza d'Armi, which might have lent the latter more of a sense of importance post-earthquake, and would also have brought all the cultural focus of the former closer to the historic centre.