Investigation under way after vandalism of white marl cliffs in Sicily, one of country’s most popular tourist sites

An investigation is under way after the famed white limestone Scala dei Turchi cliff in Sicily was “shamefully defaced” with red powder.

The Scala dei Turchi, or Turkish Steps, is one of Italy’s most visited tourist sites and features prominently in the Inspector Montalbano books by the late author Andrea Camilleri.

The cliff, which is shaped like a huge staircase jutting into the Mediterranean from the coast of Realmonte in southern Sicily, was vandalised on Friday night.

Initial inspections established that the culprits defaced the cliff with red iron oxide powder, a material which is fairly easy to eliminate, as proved by the fact that marks on the lower part of the cliff have been partially removed by the sea. Volunteers in Realmonte began cleaning the remaining marks on Saturday.

“The splendid white marl cliff of the Scala dei Turchi, an attraction of the Agrigento area for visitors from all over the world, has been shamefully defaced,” said Nello Musumeci, Sicily’s president. “We condemn the perpetrators of this cowardly gesture. It constitutes an outrage not only to an asset of rare beauty, but also to the image of our island. I hope the judiciary quickly identify those responsible.”

Luigi Patronaggio, the chief prosecutor of Agrigento, has started an investigation and ordered tests on the material used in order to trace recent sales of red powder in the area and, ultimately, the buyers. Police are also looking for clues via video surveillance images.

The Scala dei Turchi was submitted as a candidate for Unesco world heritage status in 2019. However, the landmark was temporarily closed and seized by prosecutors in early 2020 after years of complaints about its poor preservation.

The cliff has suffered natural erosion but also from the huge number of tourists, some of whom have stolen pieces of rock, which consists of soft white limestone.

The investigation also probed the ownership of the Scala dei Turchi, which for years has been contested between local authorities in Realmonte and Ferdinando Sciabbarà, who staked his claim of ownership of part of the coastline based on documents dating back to the 19th century.

Sciabbarà was investigated for the occupation of state-owned land and other crimes connected with the preservation of the site. He was ordered to pay a €9,100 (£7,600) fine last summer and the land was returned to him. According to reports in the Italian press, Sciabbarrà is ready to sell his portion of the land to the local authority, on condition that a nature reserve be established.