Inside Italy’s ‘Land of Fires’ as Pope Leo visits

By Antonella Palermo – Acerra

Asbestos, household appliances, paint, and even ATM machines—all kinds of waste litter the roadsides just outside the center of Acerra, in illegal open dumps. But the most alarming issue is the underground pollution, which has seeped into the deep layers of the soil, permanently contaminating it. Next to farmers' fields lie toxic substances dumped for decades on land that, from an agricultural standpoint, should be a source of pride for Italy’s Campania region. Instead, it has become a breeding ground for death.

Michele Pannella and Alessandro Cannavacciuolo, from the “Volontari antiroghi Acerra” ((Acerra Anti-Fires Volunteers), association, work tirelessly to shed light on this tragedy, which dates back to the late 1990s and early 2000s. Local waste treatment and concrete production companies, under the guise of producing “quality compost” (i.e., fertilizer) for the soil, secretly added a mix of toxic liquid and solid substances. They then spread this mixture in the fields, largely without the farmers’ knowledge. The health consequences are immense and affect the fertility of the local population.

“Do not abandon us, come back,” they plead as they guide Vatican News’ filming of these scenes. Their voices join those of all who hope for the late Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ to be taken seriously. They are mobilizing around Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral visit on May 23, begging for the chance to be able to breathe again.