"Amid pieces of medieval city, a frantic search for life; Quake in Italy kills about 150, injures 1,500" by Marta Falconi, Associated Press | April 7, 2009
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The 6.3-magnitude earthquake buckled both ancient and modern buildings in and around L'Aquila, snuggled in a valley surrounded by the snowcapped Apennines' tallest peaks. It also took a severe toll on the centuries-old castles and churches in the mountain stronghold dating from the Middle Ages, and the Culture Ministry drew up a list of landmarks that were damaged, including collapsed bell towers and cupolas.
The quake, centered near L'Aquila, about 70 miles northeast of Rome, struck at 3:32 a.m., followed by more than a dozen aftershocks.... Premier Silvio Berlusconi said in a TV interview that more than 150 people were killed and more than 1,500 were injured. He declared a state of emergency, freeing federal funds for the disaster, and canceled a trip to Russia....
Pope Benedict XVI prayed "for the victims, in particular for children." Condolences poured in from around the world, including from President Obama.... Many Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance landmarks were damaged, including part of the red-and-white stone basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio. The church houses the tomb of its founder, Pope Celestine V - a 13th-century hermit and saint who was the only pontiff to resign.
The bell tower of the 16th-century San Bernardino church and the cupola of the Baroque Sant'Agostino church also fell, the ministry said. Stones tumbled down from the city's cathedral, which was rebuilt after a 1703 earthquake. "The damage is more serious than we can imagine," said Giuseppe Proietti, a Culture Ministry official. "The historic center of L'Aquila has been devastated."
"Treasured churches and castles reduced to rubble" by Marta Falconi and Ariel David, Associated Press | April 7, 2009
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The city's historic center boasts buildings that represent some of the great stages of Western architecture - Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque: and much of it was turned to rubble by the predawn jolt.
Harm to ancient monuments was recorded as far away as Rome, where the famed thermal baths built by the Emperor Caracalla took slight damage. Though not a major tourist destination like Florence or Venice, the scenic city of some 70,000, nestled in a valley and ringed by snowcapped Apennine mountains, has ancient fortifications, castles, churches, and tombs of saints.
"The damage is more serious than we can imagine," said Giuseppe Proietti, a top Culture Ministry official in Rome. "The historic center of L'Aquila has been devastated."
The quake - Italy's deadliest in nearly three decades - struck as residents slept, knocking down buildings and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Experts in L'Aquila were struggling to assess the cultural losses even as the city's cultural offices, housed in a 16th-century Spanish castle, were shut down by collapses, Proietti said.
The damaged fortifications, once perfectly preserved, are also home to a museum of archaeology and art from prehistory to modern times. L'Aquila, whose name means "The Eagle" in Italian, was built around 1240 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and was under French, Spanish, and papal domination through the centuries. The high-flying bird was Frederick's emblem and reflects the city's 2,300-foot altitude.
The city is the capital of the Abruzzo region, a mountainous area home to national parks and hilltop hamlets. In 1943, overthrown dictator Benito Mussolini was held briefly at an isolated hotel on the nearby Gran Sasso massif before being freed in a raid by his German allies.--more--"
"Strong aftershocks rock Italy as death toll climbs;235 are dead, 15 missing after quake" by Marta Falconi, Associated Press | April 8, 2009
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The death toll from Italy's worst earthquake in three decades climbed to 235, with 15 still missing, civil protection officials said. The dead included four students trapped in the rubble of a dormitory of the University of L'Aquila, the ANSA news agency reported.
Rescue crews gave up gingerly removing debris by hand and brought in huge pincers that pulled off parts of the dorm roof, balconies and walls, showering debris down. "Unless there is a miracle, I've been told [by rescuers] that they probably are dead," university rector Ferdinando Di Orio said.
A strong aftershock at 7:47 p.m. rained debris on screaming residents and rescue crews, who ran from the site. "I want to go home! I want to go home!" screamed a woman identified only as Patrizia after chunks of facade rained down on them from a badly cracked building.
Her hands trembled as rescue workers gave her a cup of water. Her boyfriend, Agostino Paride, 33, an engineer, said they had driven to L'Aquila from Civitella Rovedo, some 45 miles away, to bring food and clothes to relatives in a tent camp.
To shelter the homeless against another chilly night in the mountains, some 20 tent cities sprouted in open spaces around L'Aquila and surrounding towns. Field kitchens, medical supplies, and clowns with bubbles - to entertain traumatized children - were brought in.
Officials estimated Monday that 50,000 people had been left homeless by the quake. By yesterday evening, that number was lowered to between 17,000 and 25,000, because many moved in with friends or relatives....
Experts say the vast majority of buildings in the most vulnerable regions of earthquake-prone Italy don't meet modern seismic safety standards. Nearly half of Italy is labeled "dangerous" in terms of seismic activity, according to a 2008 report by Enzo Boschi, of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, and other Italian geologists and civil protection experts. But only 14 percent of buildings in that vulnerable swath were built to seismic-safety standards, the report said....
"Earthquake-rattled Italians begin to bury their dead; Pope allows special Mass for 272 killed" by Vanessa Gera, Associated Press | April 9, 2009
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As more bodies were pulled from the rubble, some of the 28,000 homeless spent another day lining up for food and water at some of the 20 tent camps that have sprouted up around this quake-devastated city. Pope Benedict XVI said he would visit the area soon.
Rescue efforts continued for the 15 people still missing, but officials began discussing rebuilding the stricken region and reopening schools. They stressed it would take a month or two to have a clear idea of the extent of the damage....
The magnitude-6.3 quake hit L'Aquila and several towns covering 230 square miles in central Italy early Monday, leveling buildings and reducing entire blocks to piles of rubble. It was the worst quake to hit Italy in three decades.... Berlusconi said looting in the quake zone was on the rise and that the government was considering an increase in penalties. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni told reporters that anti-looting police patrols would also be stepped up....
Of the 28,000 people homeless, 17,700 were living in tent cities, spending much of their time in line - waiting for food and to use the bathrooms. They spent a second night in chilly mountain temperatures, sometimes without heat in their tents and being jolted by aftershocks.
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We got 'em here in AmeriKa even without the earthquakes: Slow Saturday Special: Tent City
