Small Sicily

Small Sicily is an old harbor district of Tunis (Tunisia) which occupies the oriental party of the city. It is framed by the avenue of Carthage in the west, the port in the east, the popular quarters of Bab Alioua in the south and the principal avenue of the city, the Avenue Habib Bourguiba, in north.

Constitution of the district

In 1865, Sadok Bey, Bey de Tunis, offers on a purely gracious basis a ground marshy with the Fasciotti family. This family belonged to the Bourgeoisie tuniso - Italy. Eugene Fasciotti is old a Préfet of Naples and senator with Rome whereas his Carlotta wife - born Gnecco - is resulting from a family génoise of Tunisia. The field is registered with number 2929 and is named “Carlotta Fasciotti-Gnecco” the February 17th 1897.

The family fills little by little the marshes by rubble and gains grounds on the Lac of Tunis. She built several buildings around some private streets there and rents with thirds of the grounds on which she authorizes construction of temporary small houses and without stages until in 1900.

A working population, mainly of sicilian origin and Sardinian, settles in this district. Marine , Docker S and Ouvrier S settle there, encouraged by the inauguration, with the Eastern limit of the field, the wearing of Tunis in 1893. The social fabric of the district gives him the nickname of “Sicily”.

The Urbanisation is not controlled there, the rudimentary spontaneous Architecture and constructions. The municipality develops gradually and tardily the streets of the district.

Development and harmonization of the district

In 1897, the family yields at the Tunisian State six pieces of the field against a development of the property. The Fasciotti husbands die in the tread, initially Carlotta in 1898 with Hammam Lif then Eugene in Rome.

The district is equipped in adductions with Eau and Natural gas and the streets developed thanks to the work financed by a progressive rental tax on the grounds sold by Fasciotti which had until in 1907 to refund the balance. New the hotel-of-city, which opens its doors in 1900 on the avenue of Carthage bordering on the ground, develops the district.

Dwellings and workshops emergent at that time in the districts which see to settle until the end of the 20th century of the scrap merchants and the mechanics then turners and mechanics. The latter gradually leave their place to offices and tradesmen, particularly of the distributers of spare parts.

Certain constructions will be built without taking account of the nature of the embankments like famous leaning Maison, a Minoterie, whose 3 buildings will be rectified and consolidated on the level of the foundations.

The Fasciotti family continues to manage the residual parts of their field until in 1951 when Carlo Fasciotti, diplomatic lawyer and , made of the two last Hectare S her participation in the capital of a real estate company sitting at Casablanca. This participation is then developed in 48.000.000 francs.

Modernization and refitting

Small Sicily is the object, at the end of the Années 1990, of a project of important refitting whose main trends are defined after a consultation near offices of Tunisian councils. It is a question of creating a commercial and residential tertiary pole on a surface of 80 hectares limited by Bab Alioua to the south, the avenue Habib Bourguiba in north, the port in the east and the street of Carthage in the west. The transformation future of the wearing of Tunis into Marina - the passengers activities being désomais installed with the port of Goulette and the marketing activity with the port of Radès - benefits the whole by giving him a certain standing.

A special subcommittee, made up of municipal frameworks, in collaboration with the Council about the architects and the ministry for the equipment, the habitat and town and country planning, chose the project of the cabinet Ahmed Ouerdani. It will include/understand a Parking on floors extending on 7492 m ², 2 twin towers, a multimode station of transport (main station, station of bus and taxis and subway station), buildings residential and administrative and cultural centres, social and commercial.

Within the framework of the same project, the place of Barcelona will be connected to the zone arranged with a public place and an esplanade. The entry of the city will be carried out starting from Bab Alioua and of the avenue of Italy which will be widened for this purpose. Starting from the Z4 road, the 2 turns which will symbolize the southern entry of Tunis will be connected by a footbridge. While offering to the center of Tunis and the neighbouring communes a frontage open on the sea, the project will make it possible Tunisois to have their clean marina which will be born on the banks from the “southern” lake from Tunis.

External bond

Project of refitting of Small Sicily (municipality of Tunis)

Random links: