Bussana Vecchia: The battle over Italy's eclectic, handbuilt village

Bussana Vecchia is a unique village in Italy that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1887. After the disaster, the village was abandoned and became a ghost town. In the late 1950s, a group of artists decided to rebuild the village and make it their home. Today, Bussana Vecchia is a popular tourist destination, but the residents are facing the threat of eviction.

Nina Franco is one of the newest residents of Bussana Vecchia. She moved to the village in 2022 after spending 20 years in Argentina. Nina is a puppet maker, and her house also serves as her workshop. She is still in the process of building her home, just like many other residents who had to construct their own houses. Nina loves the village and its diverse community of international artists. She says that you can hear many different languages spoken in the village, such as French, German, Russian, and Spanish.

Bussana Vecchia stands out from other resort towns on the Italian Riviera. It is perched on a hill above Sanremo. The village has a long and storied history that began with a catastrophe. On February 23, 1887, an earthquake struck the northern Ligurian coast, destroying the upper part of the village and killing 53 people. The survivors lived in wooden barracks for seven years before relocating to a new village called Bussana Nuova. The original village was abandoned and turned into a ghost town.

In the late 1950s, an artist named Mario Giani, also known as Clizia, envisioned transforming Bussana Vecchia into an artists' commune. Gradually, more artists followed him, drawn by the idea of a place with no rules where they could build their own homes from the rubble and dedicate their time to creating art. They lived without modern amenities like running water and electricity. Today, the village has electricity and running water, but it still retains its artistic and self-reliant spirit.

Despite its popularity, the residents of Bussana Vecchia are facing eviction. In 2017, they received letters from the authorities stating that they had no legal right to their houses and were considered illegal squatters. In response, the residents formed a collective called 'i Resilienti' to fight for their rights. They want to be recognized as the rightful owners of the houses they rebuilt.

The authorities have proposed various solutions, such as holding a public auction so that villagers can bid on their own houses. However, the residents are concerned that the village will lose its bohemian spirit and become a tourist trap. Some residents want property rights, while others are content with paying a symbolic annual rent to the regional authorities.

The residents are determined to protect the spirit of open-mindedness and freedom that has defined life in the village for the past 60 years. They are accustomed to the village's imperfections, such as the tangle of cables and leaking roofs. They don't mind these flaws; they just want to preserve their unique way of life.

Bussana Vecchia is a testament to the resilience and creativity of its residents. The village openly displays its scars from the earthquake, with some medieval houses crumbling and others adorned with flowers and colorful curtains. The artistic influence is evident throughout the village, with paintings, sculptures, and mosaics decorating the streets. The still-roofless church is overgrown with grass and weeds, adding to the village's charm.

The village has changed since its early days as an artists' commune. It now has several restaurants and a local bar that attracts tourists on weekends. Many artists have started selling souvenirs alongside their artwork. Despite these changes, Bussana Vecchia has managed to retain its artistic soul and self-reliant attitude.

The ongoing dispute with the authorities has created uncertainty for the residents. They fear that if the authorities gain control, the village will lose its unique character and become just another tourist attraction. The residents are united in their desire to protect the village's spirit and way of life. They are willing to fight for their rights and preserve the community they have built over the past six decades.