Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
NOTO – Noto is not just the capital of the Baroque, with its golden stone façades, noble palaces and grand staircases. Beneath one of Sicily’s most celebrated art cities lies a more recent, intimate and dramatic history, now brought to light through an innovative, emotionally powerful cultural initiative: the reopening and immersive experience of the city’s air-raid shelter.
What makes the experience unique is the decision not to rely on a conventional guided tour, but on the talent of a local theatre group. Actors in period costume lead tourists and visitors through the underground tunnels, turning the route into a genuine journey back in time.
The immersive experience: between theatrical storytelling and historical memory
The project was born with the aim of rescuing the city’s places of memory from oblivion, offering the public a different perspective on the history of the Syracuse area during the Second World War:
- Live storytelling: Through monologues, realistic performances, period sounds and lighting effects inside the shelter, visitors relive the anguish of the air-raid sirens, the wait for bombings and the hopes of the civilians forced to take refuge underground.
- Experiential tourism: The initiative taps into the growing demand for immersive cultural experiences (edutainment), engaging a diverse audience of foreign tourists, history enthusiasts, school groups and residents connected to the area’s roots.
Enhancing heritage and diversifying the tourist offer
The opening of the air-raid shelter represents an important step in diversifying Noto’s and the Syracuse area’s tourist offer:
- Off-season and alternative routes: Alongside the traditional art and Baroque architecture itineraries, the rediscovery of the underground and 20th-century history enriches the city’s attractions, extending visitors’ stays.
- Synergy between culture and local theatre: Involving local craftspeople and cultural associations demonstrates how live performance can become a permanent tool for promoting and safeguarding historical heritage.
