Rehabilitation of the Reformed Friars Minor’s convent in Petralia Soprana (PA). From Abandoned Building to an Artist Residency for Musicians

The internal areas of Italy are currently at the center of a debate focusing on the need to develop strategies to improve essential services and combat depopulation. Discussion topics include the importance of integrating economic resources, enhancing cultural and environmental heritage, and actively involving local communities. The towns of the Madonie inner mountain area in Sicily are among those considered peripheral and marginalized areas where the very idea of community is at risk. These territories are characterized by immense scenic, natural, and historical built heritage. However, this beauty is often overshadowed by abandonment, management difficulties, and lack of financial resources. An example of this is the convent of the Reformed Minor Friars in Petralia Soprana, in the province of Palermo, which is the focus of this study. Built in 1611, it functioned until the end of the nineteenth century. It is currently owned by the FEC (Cultural Heritage Fund) and is in a state of complete abandonment. The study aims to enhance the historical structure by proposing a rehabilitation design and a new use as an artist residency focused on music. It seeks to demonstrate how this new use is compatible with the existing spaces, the construction/architectural structure, and the territorial context, and how it would breathe new life into the architectural complex and the community surrounding it. The convent could host an auditorium, rehearsal rooms, recording studios, guest rooms, and communal spaces, becoming a hub for revitalizing Petralia Soprana and the towns of the Madonie through art and culture.