Salerno, the forgotten park becomes an alcove

If you put a ball on an inclined plane, it starts to go down and, no matter how imperceptible the inclination, it starts to run faster and faster. It is impossible to stop it. The inclined plane theory would seem to fit the case of Irno Park. In what was once a model of reconversion of a production area into a green space, the ball of degradation is beginning its journey toward the irreparable. For now, crossing the park that was the production center of the furnaces that produced the characteristic red bricks, there are many small signs of abandonment, but it is clear that if we do not intervene immediately, even with stopgap solutions, there is a risk that the situation will degenerate completely. And then, as was the case with the Mercatello park, much more money will be needed to fix it up. The signs of abandonment are immediately noticeable, right from the entrance to the park.

But the walls with the torn off entrance covers are just a taste of the series that can be found further on. For now, it would be enough to fix the seats or the walls will be totally compromised. But the feeling that pervades crossing the paths is a sort of dejection in seeing that the lawn is now yellow and the trees urgently need to be watered. In the large flowerbed dedicated to citrus trees, the small lemons that are sprouting between the dried leaves are a stubborn reaction of nature but it is clear that they will not be able to grow if they do not receive water. Moreover, according to the original project, each flowerbed is dedicated to a theme even if, over time, various associations (for certainly meritorious reasons) have also planted species that have no connection with the park project. On the other hand, in some places, the vegetation is so thick that it has practically “eaten” the backs of the benches. “But does no one water?”, someone asks considering that there are pipes and irrigation nozzles but, probably, there is no one who takes the trouble to activate the mechanism.

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