Apice Vecchia, abandoned after the earthquakes of 1962 and 1980, is being considered as the location for a museum focused on earthquakes, according to ANSA.
Proponents describe the project as potentially the first earthquake museum in Italy, though that description comes from the backers and has not been independently verified.
According to local reporting, the proposal emerged after a site inspection involving Mayor Angelo Pepe and Italian-American experts connected to an international security conference promoted by Icosit.
Professor Elia Mannetta argued that Apice Vecchia could become an economic driver for the Sannio and inland Campania, citing its proximity to planned or existing transport infrastructure.
The mayor said he was willing to establish an Italy-US technical working group, whose partners and scope have not been specified. Apice Vecchia already hosts earthquake meetings and training courses for police and firefighters.
Separately, Apice is the lead municipality in the “Terrememori – Le terre che ricordano” network with Melito Irpino, Montecalvo Irpino and Sant’Arcangelo Trimonte. The project proposes collecting oral histories, photographs, letters and family objects for a digital archive and narrative map. Its formal relationship to the museum proposal has not been defined.
