There has been a news story that has circulated throughout the world these past few weeks. On August 24, 2016 at 3:34am, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake swept across Italy. This earthquake has caused devastation for people around the world. In addition to the many lives that have been lost, many historical structures have been damaged or destroyed. Losing these historical architectures, including churches and monuments, is an agonizing pain for historians and artists around the world. The earthquake hit the hardest in the regions where the towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto. The picture to the right was taken from
The Guardian and it shows the town of Amatrice and the aftermath of the earthquake. "According to
The Guardian, Amatrice is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, with
le cento chiese—“the 100 churches”—and countless historical frescos, mosaics and sculptures" (Bixler). The town of Amatrice has suffered extensive damage. The 15th century church, Sant’Agostino, has collapsed, along with its famous rose window. Courtyards of Renaissance Palaces, have been turned into temporary morgues for the citizens of Italy. The lose of these historical structures can cause a very unsettling feeling. When these buildings are destroyed, they can't be replaced. A part of the history of Italy has been demolished and there isn't anyway to restore that. These monuments and structures held many memories and it was the framework of Italy's past. "Many historic buildings are also feared lost or damaged in Norcia, the birthplace of St Benedict. The 12th-century basilica, which is said to have been built on the foundations of his house, had been damaged" (Kennedy).
The image above was taken from
The Guardian and it is showing the 16th century bell tower in Amatrice. The clock has been frozen to 3:36, the time that the earthquake striked the city. This bell tower is the tallest structure among the rubble of the buildings in the historic town. The church that holds the burial of Pope Celestine V, 14th century frescoes in the Church of Augustine, funeral monuments, churches and beautiful medieval structures have been damaged or destroyed.
Baler, Emma. "Italian Earthquake Destroys Countless Historical Structures - The Lamron."
The Lamron Italian Earthquake Destroys Countless Historical Structures Comments. The Lamron, 16 Sept. 2016. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. <http://thelamron.com/2016/09/16/italian-earthquake-destroys-countless-historical-structures/>.
Kennedy, Maev. "Art Experts Fear Serious Earthquake Damage to Historic Italian Buildings."
The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 24 Aug. 2016. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/24/art-experts-earthquake-damage-historic-italian-buildings-amatrice>.
Tower
Great meaningful blog. Keep tuned everyone, the quakes and after quakes are still coming. Let's hope no more lives are lost after the over 300 in August, and that our beautiful medieval villages stay preserved for future generations to admire and learn from.
ReplyDeleteMonica, this was a very interesting yet sad blog. Thank you for sharing. Its unbelievable how much of history can be lost so quickly. When I was looking at the photographs I was shocked how it almost looks like a war-torn country.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job providing information about such a tragic time for the people of Italy as well as historians around the world. These earthquakes have caused the destruction of a lot of beautiful history.
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