Cretto di Burri, Gibellina: Sicily’s Most Surreal Artwork

I found the Cretto di Burri almost by accident, during a road trip through northern Sicily. It's still one of the quietest and most unsettling places I've ever stood in, and almost nothing I'd read beforehand prepared me for that.

I was road-tripping through northern Sicily when I came across the Cretto di Burri in Gibellina, and I honestly don't remember exactly how. Probably scrolling Google Maps looking for something else nearby, which is how I end up finding half the places I write about.

To say I was not prepared for how majestic this place was, and also how quiet it was, would be an understatement. No other visitors, no signage explaining what to look for and what feel. Just eerie silence, and enormous white concrete blocks sitting across rural hills, covering an entire town that isn't there anymore.

This is a stop I would suggest to people who like monumental art and don't mind silence, and given what it actually sits on top of and what it represents, it deserves to be visited with some respect. If that sounds like you, here's what you need to know before you go.

To understand this modern art installation you need to know the story behind it. In 1968, a devastating earthquake rocked Sicily, completely flattening the small town of Gibellina. The residents were relocated to a newly built town nearby, but the original Gibellina was left in ruin, abandoned and haunting. Years later, artist Alberto Burri was asked to create a memorial at the site of the destroyed town.

Now, Burri could have gone for something traditional, like a statue or a plaque, but that wasn’t his style. Instead, he envisioned something far more powerful. The idea was to encase the entire ruined town in concrete, preserving its memory forever. The word Cretto translates to "crack" in Italian, symbolizing the literal cracks in the concrete and the metaphorical cracks in time and memory.

It’s both a tribute and a transformation project, turning the remains of a tragedy into something thought-provoking and visually stunning.

Alberto Burri, a pivotal figure in post-war Italian art, began his career with a fascination for unconventional materials. Originally trained as a doctor, Burri turned to art after being captured as a WWII prisoner. His early works, such as Sacchi, used sacks and tar to reflect themes of destruction and reconstruction—ideas that would later define his career. Burri’s Combustioni series, where he used fire to shape plastic and wood, is another example of his radical approach to materials. These pieces, which highlight the scars of war and renewal, are now part of collections in major museums such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Tate Modern in London.

Burri’s trademark became then transforming common or damaged materials into profound statements on human experience. His fascination with both destruction and healing ultimately culminated in the Cretto di Burri, which stands as the ultimate evolution of his style—using concrete to preserve memory while interacting with the environment. Here, Burri’s earlier experiments with texture, surface, and process find their grandest expression, blending seamlessly with the landscape of Gibellina.

The creation of the Cretto di Burri in Gibellina was a monumental endeavour. It began in 1984, though it took several decades to complete, with the final section added in 2015 to commemorate what would have been Alberto Burri’s 100th birthday. It covers an astounding 85,000 square meters, making it one of the largest land art installations in the world.

The Cretto’s vast expanse is made of white concrete, with each slab measuring 1.5 meters in height. The fissures between the blocks mirror the layout of the original town’s streets, and the slabs are laid directly over the ruins, preserving the memory of the town beneath the concrete, and creating a haunting and powerful visual effect.

The choice of white concrete was both aesthetic and symbolic, reflecting the notion of memory, preservation, and silence. The clean, stark surface contrasts sharply with the rugged Sicilian landscape surrounding it.

Experiencing the Cretto di Burri in person felt unlike anything else. First of all, you walk through it. The paths are wide and empty, and it's like wandering through an archaeological site, but with a minimalist, modern twist.

The sheer scale of the installation can feel overwhelming at times. As you walk through these paths, there’s a sense of absence, as though the town is still there, hidden beneath the surface. 

The Sicilian hills stretch out in every direction, rugged and windswept. The stark white of the Cretto against this earthy landscape creates a visual contrast that’s nothing short of striking. As the sun moves across the sky, shadows dance across the cracked surface, constantly changing how the installation looks and feels. 

The experience of walking through the Cretto is also meditative. There are no distractions, no information boards telling you what to think or feel. It’s just you, the wind, the concrete, and the rolling hills around you.

Visiting the site requires a bit of planning, but it’s worth the effort.

The Cretto di Burri is located near the new town of Gibellina, about an hour and a half drive from Palermo, Sicily. Renting a car is your best bet to get to the area, as public transportation options are limited in this rural part of Sicily. However, the drive itself is part of the adventure, winding through the beautiful Sicilian countryside.

Once you arrive in the main town, the Cretto is easy to find, just follow the signs to the ruins of Gibellina (or this Google Map location). The site is open-air and free to visit, so you can explore at your own pace. There are no visitor centres or services on-site, so be sure to bring water and whatever else you may need if you’re planning to stay for a while.

If you don't want to drive, a handful of official guided tours, including a 'Beneath the Surface' tour that goes into the site's history in more depth, are now bookable online.

If you’re looking for other things to do in the area, consider a visit to Segesta, just a short drive away. This ancient Greek temple, perched on a hill with stunning views of the surrounding landscape, offers a perfect contrast to the modernist art of the Cretto.

For accommodations, the nearby towns of Trapani and Palermo offer plenty of options, from boutique hotels to cozy B&Bs.

Though not widely known, the Cretto di Burri has been featured in smaller independent film projects, as its stark and surreal landscape makes it an ideal setting for post-apocalyptic or avant-garde themes.

Recently, it gained even more international attention as a filming location for the Amazon Prime series Citadel: Diana, which is part of the Citadel universe created by the Russo brothers. In this Italian chapter of the series, the Cretto was featured during one of the show’s most dramatic action scenes. A notable moment includes a 450-meter-long zip line flight over the Cretto, adding a dynamic, futuristic twist to the haunting landscape.

In addition to being featured in Citadel: Diana, the Cretto di Burri has been used as a backdrop in various other media and artistic projects. One interesting example is the short film by Dutch director Petra Noordkamp, commissioned by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. This short film explored the emotional and visual impact of the Cretto, focusing on how its surface interacts with the surrounding landscape to create a cinematic atmosphere. The film was part of a broader retrospective of Burri's work showcased at the Guggenheim between 2015 and 2016, marking the centenary of the artist’s birth​.

An update: in May 2026, Gibellina Nuova was officially named Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2026 by Italy's Ministry of Culture, recognition for decades of public art commissions across the town alongside the Cretto itself.

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