Abruzzo Italy

By now, everyone's pretty aware that a major earthquake struck the Abruzzo region of Italy yesterday. The quake struck in the middle of the night and its epicenter was the medieval fortress town of L'Aquila, but 28 villages surrounding L'Aquila were also deeply affected. So far, more than 200 people have lost their lives and upwards of 50,000 people have been left homeless. This is a tragedy in every sense of the word. If you're moved to make a donation to help out, you can do so through the National Italian American Foundation if you're in the US. The NIAF is a highly reputable ... Read Full Story

Our hearts go out to all our friends in Italy after the devastating earthquake. The quake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, was centred on L’Aquila, in the Abruzzo region high up in the Apennine mountains. Tremors were felt as far away as Rome , 63 miles to the north-west. L’Aquila is a town noted for its architecture and, because it’s only a 90-minute drive from the capital, has traditionally been a popular summer and winter spot for Romans keen on hiking and skiing. A survivor of the quake, Gabriella De Lucchi, said: “L’Aquila has turned into a ghost town, but Abruzzo people are ... Read Full Story

This week’s Images of Italy is devoted to the courageous people of Abruzzo, Italy - the Italian region which has suffered great loss of life and damage after the recent earthquake. Help! from edobiondi Help! Photo by ANSA edobiondi’s work, including images of Abruzzo both before and after the earthquake, can be viewed here: edobiondi on Flickr . This image is from the Italian news agency’s ANSA’s achives. ANSA’s news in English section . Information and Donations Please visit this post on Ms. Adventures in Italy, where you will find information on how you can help out by sending donations, if you would like ... Read Full Story

The historical area of medieval L’Aquila, devastated by an earthquake last week, will be rebuilt as quickly as possible, Abruzzo region President Gianni Chiodi said on Tuesday. Chiodi told a television news show that by October or latest by November, comfortable lodgings will be found for the homeless who are currently housed in tent camps. The civil protection department has done an ”amazing job” in handling the first phase of the emergency, said Chiodi, stressing that the second phase will involve finding ”more comfortable” lodgings for those camped out in tents or hotels on the Abruzzo coast. ”The third phase will be reconstruction of ... Read Full Story

Abruzzo is possibly not the most well known of Italian regions. When you see images of the area though, you start to wonder just why it is not up there with the likes of Tuscany. For some though, Abruzzo’s relative anonymity is a good thing. You might like to think of Abruzzo as being ‘off the beaten track’ Italy, and for some, this may appeal. Note too that skiing is possible in this Italian region, mainly in the area around Roccaraso , of which I have already written. Today’s Images of Italy photo is of a lovely looking little Italian village which clings to ... Read Full Story