A 'gateway city' between landscape and cultural heritage

The paper analyzes the achievable strategic role that the porto of Porto Empedocle (sinergy by Agrigento, its "city mother") could have. This marginal city, localized in the center of the African side of the Sicily, is far from European politics, but this situation could change. It's necessary to improve the sea routes and to activate the disused railway line from Porto Empedocle to Castelvetrano (near Trapani). This solution will help the accessibility of Agrigento and the development of the little coastal towns organized in a slow and sustainable network.Lo scritto analizza il possibile ruolo strategico che il porto di Porto Empedocle (in sinergica con la sua citt\ue0-madre, Agrigento). Questa piccola e marginale cittadina, baricentro geografico del fronte africano della Sicilia, \ue8 lontana dalle politiche europee. Ma la situazione potrebbe evolversi attraverso una serie di azioni sinergiche. Tra queste, l'attivazione di percorsi via mare e la ri-attivazione della rete ferroviaria dismessa che da Porto Empedocle giungeva a Castelvetrano. Tutto ci\uf2 migliorer\ue0 l'accessibilit\ue0 di Agrigento e lo sviluppo di Porto Empedocle, nodo di una possibile rete di piccoli comuni, lenta e sostenibile.The paper analyzes the achievable strategic role that the porto of Porto Empedocle (sinergy by Agrigento, its \u201ccity mother\u201d) could have. This marginal city, localized in the center of the African side of the Sicily, is far from European politics, but this situation could change. It\u2019s necessary to improve the sea routes and to activate the disused railway line from Porto Empedocle to Castelvetrano (near Trapani). This solution will help the accessibility of Agrigento and the development of the little coastal towns organized in a slow and sustainable network