villalab

The VillaLab project aims for convert the Santa Ninfa’s Community Garden in a gathering place for youngs and adults, where they can come together, play sport and relax in a very pleasant landscape, but above all where they can rediscover the essential connection between the community and the land, by workshops and moments of confrontations and sharing, in order to develop environmental awareness and conscience. The Villa Comunale opened on October 2, 2020.

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villalab, our space.

Everyone’s space.

The rediscovery and reinterpretation work on the Belice land started in 2018 with the support of APF Foundation and today continue thanks to the synergy between public institutions, local associations and volunteers. The main focus of this partnership is VillaLab, a restoration project but also a trasformationone, because it converts an unused space into a source full of new ideas.

The renovation work is focusing on three areas of interest:

a space dedicated to sport lovers, in which will be created an equipped fitness area and a 500 meters perimeter circuit where stroll and jogging;
the botanical rediscovery of the land, thanks to the “Tastes educational Garden”, an olfactory and sensory path organized in a set of vegetable gardens which will guide the kids to a rediscovery of aromas, spices and tastes that have made the history of our land;
a special attention to the children’s needs, with the complete replacement of the play area, which will be provided of new equipment in the spirit of a greater modernity and safety.

Santa Ninfa’s artisans

In addition to the priceless support of the Santa Ninfa city administration, led by the major Giuseppe Lombardino, 13 local firms (including building contractors, nurserymen, technicians and artisans) joined the project and decided to offer their spontaneouscollaboration to readjust and secure the whole area. The Santa Ninfa’s artisanstook care of securing the area, restoring the public green, installing a video surveillance system, restocking the play area, renovating the toilets, replacing the street furniture and painting and repairing the internal structures of the Villa.

The planning and the carrying out of the works have been coordinated by the guide of Peppe Bivona, supported by the architect Nicola Pacino, in close collaboration with the technical referent of the district Vincenzo Monreale.

VillaLab created a strong team of local artisans who, from the beginning, demonstrated a great spirit of shared involvement and were ready to collaborate for a common purpose: to make their city more beautiful and comfortable.

Costruzioni Granello
Al.Be.Ro Costruzioni
Carrozzeria Pecorella
Celi Energia
Edilmarmi di Sinacori Leonardo
EMMECIESSE
Giardini Mediterranei
Scarpe Greenland
Impresa Di Maria
Impresa Truglio
Obiettivo Sicurezza
Officina Spina
Vincenzo Biondo

a solidariety network

The local cultural and sports associations took an active part in the project since the beginning. Thanks to their big dedication and their strong knowledge of the land, the associations have played a key role in the project, actively working to the start of the readjustment work and creating a packed agenda full of activities and meetings that will animate VillaLab in the near future.

Il Geko
Società Operaia Mutuo Soccorso
Rete Museale e Naturale Belicina
Noi Rockers
Riserva Naturale Grotte di santa Ninfa
Legambiente Sicilia
Finestrelle Bikers
Avis Santa Ninfa
Pro Loco di Santa Ninfa
Saperi e Sapori

#natureiswatchingyou

Also donating some of his talent to the VillaLab project was Fabio Ferrara, known as Hira, an artist from Castelvetrano who is very sensitive to social issues and always able to capture all the nuances of our beautiful territory.

Hiraworked in particular on the central tower of the Villa, creating a real work of street art, able to spread a strong message of environmental sustainability.

“Nature is Watching You“, this is the title of the work, in addition to making the tower a perfect part of the habitat, it manages to convey, with its vivid and bright colors, all the strength and energy of the local fauna.