The third powerful earthquake to hit Italy in two months spared has human life but struck at the nation’s identity, destroying a Benedictine cathedral, a medieval tower and other beloved landmarks that had survived the earlier jolts across a mountainous region of small historic towns.
lost or severely damaged in the shaking were ancient Roman walls, Gothic and Baroque churches and centuries-old paintings crushed beneath tons of brick, sandstone and marble.
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi said the nation’s “soul is disturbed” by the series of quakes, starting with the deadly Aug 24 event that killed nearly 300 people, two back-to-back temblors on Oct 26, and the biggest of them all, a 6.6-magnitude quake that shook people out of bed yesterday morning. It was the strongest quake to hit Italy in 36 years.
There were no reports of fatalities, a fact attributed to the evacuation of sensitive areas and fragile city centers. Nearly 8,000 people have been moved to shelters or hotels following the quakes last week and yesterday, and Italy’s Civil Protection agency was expecting that number to reach 11,000 by today morning. Many who stayed behind were sleeping in campers or other vehicles, out of harm’s way.
Renzi vowed to rebuild houses, churches and business, saying, “a piece of Italian identity is at stake at this moment.”
“Feeling the earth collapse beneath your feet is not a metaphorical expression but is what happened this morning, and half of Italy felt this,” Renzi said.