Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
ACIREALE (CT) – A crucial lifeline for the municipal coffers and the future of infrastructure in the Acireale area. The Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT), led by minister Adolfo Urso, has officially extended the administrative closure of the “pilot projects” under the southern Italy territorial pacts to 30 November 2026.
The ministerial measure is decisive in securing the allocated funds and definitively eliminating the risk of the works lapsing or losing financing due to bureaucratic delays.
Acireale projects unlocked: carnival and sustainable mobility
Central to the move is the pilot project “Aci Cultural Hub”, a strategic territorial plan with the Municipality of Acireale coordinating actions as the lead authority and responsible body, supported by five other municipalities in the area.
The extension directly affects two key interventions whose sites were originally due to close by 31 October 2026:
- Carnival Citadel (€1.4 million): Funds earmarked for the functional recovery of part of the complex and the creation of a carnival museum-workshop, equipped with advanced automation systems and new lighting.
- Acigreenway project (€370,000): Funding allocated to complete the cycle and pedestrian path built on the disused railway track. The work includes safety measures, carriageway widening, new parking areas, signage, lighting and dedicated pedestrian routes to facilitate access to the famous 18th-century nativity scene.
Municipal council approval
Satisfaction with the outcome was expressed by Acireale municipal councillor Giuseppe Ferlito:
“The extension of the territorial pacts’ deadlines is a fundamental step for the Municipality of Acireale and for the entire Aci area,” Ferlito said. “Thanks to this extension, it will be possible to complete, within the necessary timeframe, the public and private projects already funded and currently under way. Without this extension, the Municipality would have had to step in with its own resources to ensure the works were finished. It is a further and valuable opportunity to enhance the investments destined for the area and to secure interventions essential to economic, tourist and cultural development.”
