Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Trapani Borgo Amerigo Fazio

Borgo Amerigo Fazio

A never-inhabited village that was built as part of Mussolini's agricultural reforms.

Trapani, Italy

Added By
Claus Donau
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Borgo Fazio (administration building)   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Borgo Fazio (overview)   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Borgo Fazio (the church)   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Borgo Fazio Church (inside)   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Borgo Fazio (choir of the church)   claus donau / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This abandoned village in western Sicily is one of a number of farmers' villages (borghi rurali) built at the instruction of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Known as Borgo Amerigo Fazio, the village was built in 1939—only a few years before the end of Italy's fascist regime.

The idea was to create a design with clear structures: church, school, administration buildings, police, and public health offices in the center, surrounded by private residences. Mussolini believed that if the amenities of a city were available in the countryside, people would choose to remain and work the surrounding land, thereby increasing agricultural production. But, like the other borghi rurali in Sicily (Borgo Schiro, Borgo Cascino, Borgo Borzellino, etc.), Borgo Fazio was never actually used by locals.

A special one was “Borgo Mussolinia” (today: San Pietro, coordinates are 37°06’ N / 14°29’ E). Since the Duce wanted to be informed about every step of the construction and nothing was built, the locals designed a faked photo album, which was sent to Rome to show the "results." Borgo Mussolina never existed—but Borgo Fazio did (like Borgo Schiro, for instance). You can visit it for free at any time.

Related Tags

Ruins Ghost Towns Abandoned Fascism Villages

Know Before You Go

There are some 15 borghi rurali in Sicily. Most of the are uninhabited, some buildings are used as farm sheds. You need a car to get there, or a bike.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

claus donau

Published

January 7, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.totallylost.eu/space/borgo-amerigo-fazio-trapani/
  • http://wwwvoxhumana.blogspot.com/2013/12/la-via-dei-borghi26-la-quinta-fase-dei.html (overview all the Sicilian borghi)
  • http://wwwvoxhumana.blogspot.com/2013/12/la-via-dei-borghi26-la-quinta-fase-dei.html (about “Mussolinia”)
  • https://www.lasiciliainrete.it/directory-tangibili/listing/i-luoghi-degli-eventi-storici-i-borghi-del-duce-borgo-fazio/
  • https://www.vacuamoenia.net/portfolio/borgo-fazio/
Borgo Amerigo Fazio
SP45
Trapani, 91100
Italy
37.857268, 12.667624
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Temple of Segesta

Calatafimi, Italy

miles away

Tophet of Motya

Marsala, Italy

miles away

Phoenician Walls of Erice

Erice, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Trapani

Trapani

Italy

Places 2

Nearby Places

Temple of Segesta

Calatafimi, Italy

miles away

Tophet of Motya

Marsala, Italy

miles away

Phoenician Walls of Erice

Erice, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Trapani

Trapani

Italy

Places 2

Related Places

  • Abandoned graffitied building.

    Central Aguirre, Puerto Rico

    The Ruins of Central Aguirre

    This nearly abandoned "company town" is a ghost of Puerto Rico's once-lucrative sugar industry.

  • Al `Arish.

    Qatar

    Al `Arish

    An abandoned fishing village in pre-oil Qatar.

  • Foinikas.

    Finike, Cyprus

    Foinikas

    A crumbling ghost town with prime views of the dam that doomed it.

  • Tamaqzah, Tunisia

    Tamaghza El Gdima (Abandoned Village of Tamerza)

    The ruins of a village destroyed by a 22-day flood.

  • Pentidattilo was named for the hand-shaped rock on which it sits.

    Pentidattilo, Italy

    Pentidattilo

    A ghost town on the slopes of a hand-shaped rock is haunted by the story of a 17th-century murder.

  • Cabin made of old railroad ties.

    Carlin, Nevada

    Palisade

    Little is left of this formerly bustling railroad junction on the Transcontinental Railroad.

  • Malo Grablje, Croatia

    Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

    This deserted town in the hills of Croatia’s "party island" may have a scandalous connection to King Henry VIII.

  • Argonne, South Dakota

    Argonne Ghost Town

    Once a thriving town of 100, Argonne was abandoned around 1970.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.