Photos at the Scala dei Turchi? Image rights could end up with a private individual. It's a controversy

Photographic reproduction rights to the Scala dei Turchi, the world-famous white cliff located in the municipality of Realmonte, in the province of Agrigento (near Porto Empedocle) and quickly becoming one of Sicily ’s most famous scenic attractions thanks to the novels of Andrea Camilleri, who has often set the adventures of his Commissario Montalbano in the celebrations of the spectacular cliff, may end up to a private individual.

The fact is that the municipality of Realmonte realized a few years ago that the Scala dei Turchi falls under the ownership of a private citizen, 72-year-old Ferdinando Sciabarrà, a pensioner, and since then a negotiation has been underway to resolve the problem of managing the site. According to local press reports, however, the municipality and the Sciabarrà family appear to have finally come to an agreement, which stipulates that the family will totally transfer ownership of the site to the municipality, and in return the Sciabarrà family will be able, for seventy years, to exploit the image rights of the Scala dei Turchi, retaining 70 percent of the proceeds and allocating the remaining 30 percent of the royalties to the municipality. The family has also created a “Scala dei Turchi” trademark that grants the Sciabarrà the ability to obtain payment for commercial uses of the area’s image and name.

The reproductions covered by the rights are those for television, newspaper, film services for commercial and advertising purposes by third parties. Sciabarrà will give the authorization, through a pec that will be sent to the municipality, which, however, will have the right of veto if it finds that the initiatives requesting the reproduction rights are detrimental to the image and decorum of the site. And again, also covered by the agreement are merchandising activities, use of the brand and the creation of the official tourism portal. Still, Sciabarrà will be able to grant the municipality of Realmonte the right to promote cultural and institutional events involving the use of the image of the Scala dei Turchi, as long as they are not for profit. With its 30 percent, the municipality aims to reorder the use of the area (also because the expenses will be the responsibility of the municipality).

Of course, controversy immediately mounted. Among the main critics was Sicilian MP Michele Catanzaro of the PD, who spoke of an “unbelievable” and “scandalous” affair that “confirms, once again, how sometimes reality exceeds even the boundaries of satire.” “as far as I am concerned,” said Catanzaro, "I will not allow, in any way, that one of the most significant places in the history of our territory, a site that represents, better than others, the identifying trait of our Agrigento community, one of the most beautiful postcards of Sicily and Italy becomes the object of sleazy commodification and business! The Scala dei Turchi belongs to the collective interest of an entire people and no one is allowed to commodify on our history and identity. As a regional parliamentarian and as an institutional representative of the Province of Agrigento, I will adopt every tool at my disposal to nip this ignominy in the bud; I will activate all my institutional contacts and all countermeasures so that this madness remains only an end-of-summer boutade."

Among the critics was also Legambiente Sicilia, which through its president Gianfranco Zanna spoke of an “agreement that is at least curious, an agreement between public and private to the total advantage of the latter,” and wonders “why, what is the utility of this agreement and why the mayor of Realmonte has decided to sell off in this way the Scala dei Turchi, which should, instead, be the heritage of all.”

Mayor Calogero Zicari, however, tried to dampen the controversy: Premising, reached by Il Fatto Quotidiano, that he had been naive in circulating the contents of the draft agreement even to opposition councillors who had initially expressed to him their consent to the deal except for later circulating the document (so said the first citizen), said that thanks to the agreement the site will become the exclusive property of the municipality of Realmonte “which will then be able to manage it with exclusive revenue for the public administration in the case of ticketing.”

Pictured: the Scala dei Turchi. Ph. Credit Francesco Lombardi

Photos at the Scala dei Turchi? Image rights could end up with a private individual. It's a controversy

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