Towards carbone bianco: The Hydroelectric Revolution of the Silan Plateau, in Calabria, from the Unification of Italy to the 1930s

The Silan plateau, in the centre of Calabria, was in a state of great difficulty after the unification of Italy. Its lands were marshy and malarial, and inhabiting it was impossible, due to the lack of primary services, such as roads, potable water and electricity. Consequently, an ambitious electro-irrigation project was developed. This project aimed to address these challenges by creating two artificial lakes: the Arvo and Ampollino, with the construction of three dams to utilize the water’s fall to generate electricity in three different power plants. The availability of energy was intended to serve as a catalyst for industrial development in the region. Specific legislative measures were enacted to facilitate the project, which also had a positive impact on land conditions through water regulation, facilitating land reclamation. Despite the benefits, the project fell short of its main objective: the creation of industrial activities. What remains to us today of this hoped-for industrial revolution is a network of tangible and intangible signs of this energy transition, which the Silan landscape is still able to tell.