A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit central Italy early toady and took the live of 120 people. Rescuers still look for survivors. The town of Amatrice, at the epicenter, "is no more" according to its elected mayor, 2/3s of the town is now rubble. Accumoli, close to Amatrice, also is devastated.
It may seem odd to think of an earthquake in central Italy, but the truth is that a part of the country is called "Terra Ballerina" the dancing land.
Here is the Terra Ballerina story.
December 28, 1908, 5:20 am, as dawn cracked in the South of Italy, the seabed under the Strait of Messina, the tongue of water that separates the island of Sicily from mainland Italy, was shattered by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in the Richter scale. The quake came like a ghost at night, without warning, people in their warm beds, asleep rather than in the relative safety of the streets or fields.
The quake was swiftly followed by a Tsunami with 40 foot waves that washed away the cities of Messina and Reggio di Calabria, the two biggest cities at both ends of the straight of Messina. Both cities lost 90% of their buildings. Relief efforts were hampered by devastated telegraph lines and damaged railways. Hundreds of smaller earthquakes followed in the days after the main tragedy, bringing down standing buildings and further damaging infrastructure, wounding and killing inhabitants and rescuers. King Victor Emmanuel III reached the area aboard battle ship Napoli three days later.
A steady rain started falling on the cities, forcing people to seek shelter in caves, impromptu shacks and grottoes, clad in their night robes. The coastline was not recognizable, had its shaped changed so dramatically.
100,000 people died, the survivors named the area "Terra Ballerina" the Dancing Land.
Let those who died today find peace hereafter, and those who mourn them relish on the memories of their beloved ones.
Other big earthquakes happened in Italy. Seven years ago one destroyed the city L'Aquila not far from Amatrice.
By the way, even if a little town, Amatrice was famous for a tasty recipe that takes its name from the city: amatriciana (google it)
Thank you for your comment... yes, I know there have been other earthquakes in Italy, I was in fact in the middle of a minor in Milan some years go... I love amatriciana sauce and cook it myself quite often ;)