Rome : The two strong earthquakes that hit central Italy have left the village of Norcia in tatters. Several historic churches in the village were destroyed.
The roof of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a 16th century church in the village that had been recently restored, completely caved in and its collapsed decorative ceiling could only be seen from outside, Efe news reported.
Half of the marble plaques on the building’s facade fell and lay crumbling in chunks and shards on the ground. It was “miraculous” no deaths had been reported, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said. Two powerful earthquakes — the first measuring 5.5 on the Richter and the second 6.1 — on Wednesday struck central Italy. The San Salvatore church was hit even harder by the temblor. When asked where it was, residents simply said it did not exist anymore.
The Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia Renato Boccardo lamented the grave wound that the town’s art and faith heritage had suffered.
Mild aftershocks continued to hit the region, but residents bravely returned to their homes on Thursday morning to try and collect personal belongings and start rebuilding their lives.
