Haven’t you heard? The Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà in Palermo tells a tale of beauty marred by tragedy. This park is named after Ninni Cassarà. He was a police commissioner who fell victim to the mafia.
The Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà extends across a portion of the Palermitan countryside. It lies southeast of the city’s ancient core. The park spans over 28 hectares. It stretches from the archaeological site of the Fossa della Garofala to the city’s inner ring road.
Once known as the “Giardino d’Orleans” the Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà was created around 1812 by Luigi Filippo Orleans. Back then it covered about 66 hectares. It included a large citrus grove and a vegetable garden. There was also an ornamental and recreational area near the villa. A larger area served as a landscaped garden.
Over time ownership changes led to transformations. The area suffered neglect. Yet traces of old avenues and groves remained. The Sicilian Region acquired part of the property with the Palace and remaining garden between 1954 and 1957.
Three entrances were added over the years. One is on Via Ernesto Basile. Another is on Via Altofonte Bassa near the University sports center. The last one is in Largo Claudio Traina on Corso Pisani near Villa Forni. The Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà was inaugurated in November 2011.
Sadly part of the Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà was used as an illegal dump for decades. In December 2013 weathering revealed eternit slabs. An investigation uncovered industrial waste tires rubber tubes and painting sands. Plastic and other toxic materials polluted the aquifer.
On April 16 2014 the Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà was seized due to soil contamination. The municipality promised soil analysis and safety measures. However progress stalled after the last call for tenders in 2018. Core samples showed pulverized asbestos evenly distributed throughout the park.
The soil is divided into green yellow and red zones based on potential danger. Sixty percent of the soil contains cement and asbestos fragments. The red area is thought to hold the most dangerous waste. Striscia la Notizia even covered the story. They showed irrefutable images of the contamination in Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà.
In 2018 the call for tenders for preliminary environmental investigations was published and then withdrawn. It was republished in late summer 2018 but faced renewed problems. The tender had to be redone. Students from the “V. Ragusa e O. Kiyohara” Art School formed a committee. They urged the park’s reopening. The school has classrooms overlooking the green space. It also has a private entrance potentially creating synergy. On May 7 2020 the tender for the related service was published.
Today the Parco Urbano Ninni Cassarà remains closed to the public. Work is underway to clean up the site. This park stands as a reminder of both beauty and the challenges of neglect and contamination. It also honors the memory of a dedicated public servant.