the ghost town

In the territory of Poggioreale it is believed to have taken place in 339 BC. the Battle of the Crimiso, perhaps near the place where the new city was rebuilt, not far from the point of confluence of the two branches of Belice. The name Poggioreale comes from the Latin podus regalis (or "Poggio del Re"). The town was founded as an agricultural center in 1642 by the Marquis of Gibellina, Francesco Morso, who in 1643 had the title of prince of Poggioreale [2]. In 1968 there was the violent shock that hit the Belice Valley destroying the city. The ruins that still testify to life before 1968 remain. After the earthquake, it was decided not to restore these ruins, considering their restoration uneconomic and potentially dangerous. The town was rebuilt a few kilometers further downstream, with modern and futuristic structures (for the time).