Central Italy earthquake devastates cultural heritage sites

A powerful earthquake struck central Italy on August 24, 2016, at 3:37 AM, causing widespread damage to cultural heritage across Abruzzo, Marche, and Umbria. The epicenter of the first shock was near Accumoli, Rieti, while a second strong tremor shifted toward Norcia in Umbria. The worst-hit town was Amatrice, a member of Italy's 'most beautiful villages' since 2015, where the historic center was completely destroyed, including churches such as Sant'Agostino, Santa Maria di Porta Ferrata, and San Francesco (14th century). In Norcia, the bell tower of San Benedetto church rotated on its axis, repeating damage from the 1979 earthquake. At Castelluccio di Norcia, in the Monti Sibillini Natural Park, the bell tower of an ancient deconsecrated church collapsed. The hamlet of Pescara del Tronto, part of Arquata del Tronto in the Ascoli area, was nearly razed to the ground, likely destroying the Church of Santa Croce with its 15th-century fresco of the Madonna del Soccorso and the ancient Croce Astile. The church at Torrita di Amatrice also collapsed. The Ministry of Cultural Heritage (Mibact) activated its crisis unit, which will meet in Rome on August 25 to coordinate initial interventions and deploy technical teams. The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage is assisting, while regional protection commands are assessing damage and securing heritage sites.