TheWrap: The Strangler fig

I spent the last week in Palermo doing no work at all, so I haven't the foggiest about what's been going on here in Prague. (That’s why today’s Wrap is so short). I may have been off duty, but my eyes were not closed to what was going on around me in the Sicilian capital. Maybe I've been deformed by my work, but Palermo's real estate makes it one of the oddest European cities I've visited. Specifically, the amazing, dilapidated grandeur of the buildings scattered around the historical center.

But most of these historic buildings are in poor condition, reflecting a long-standing economic malaise that plagues Sicily. The largely agrarian island probably never stood a chance against the powerful, industrial north. Certainly, devastation during WWII also took a heavy toll on the city.

What seems to have doomed Palermo, however, was the way organized crime seized control of the planning process between 1955 and 1975. Over 300 million cubic meters of cement were poured into over 150,000 poorly built flats on the city's outskirts. Building licenses were handed out wherever it suited contractors, with no regard to the need for basic infrastructure and amenities. Investment into the historic center and public transport dried up. This period when construction’s only purpose was profit (as opposed to urban development) is known as "The Sack of Palermo".

Today, the results of this mismanagement of a city with an absurdly rich cultural heritage are clear to see. The streets in the historic center are now a chaotic mix of shops, cafes and streetside restaurants along with low-rent trinket shops, flea markets, abject poverty and decay.

The oddest, wonderful thing about Palermo is its fascination with strangler fig trees. These appear where a seed is dropped (usually by a passing bird) into an existing tree. As it grows, it begins putting down skinny aerial roots from above, eventually reaching the ground. Over time, these roots multiply and harden.

Having begun as a parasite, the fig eventually absorbs and kills its host, becoming a monster tree that then continues to spread dangerously over sidewalks and streets. Much the same way unregulated construction can strangle a city.

Don't get me wrong. Palermo's definitely worth a visit and we had a lovely time. But I sure left with a more profound respect for the institutions here in CEE even if we (often correctly) complain about the way they work.

A couple more tables have gone for ThePrime Gala, so if you haven’t been invited yet, now’s the time to start thinking about getting your own tickets. Or taking your own table! As for the Awards, I'm pleased to say that my new intern Iveta Hoangova will be helping coordinate the nomination submission process. If you don’t have your application form yet, please get in touch with her at iveta @ theprime.cz. For ticket orders, either write us at gala @ theprime, or directly to the online form at bit.ly/GalaTix26

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