Past glories and future hopes came crashing down together in central Italy amid a powerful earthquake on Monday that crumbled centuries-old churches and claimed the lives of at least 150 people, leaving hundreds more injured and thousands homeless.
Rescue workers in the mountainous region of Abruzzo toiled through the night searching for survivors buried in the rubble of buildings that in some cases had stood fast since medieval times, including an ornate basilica where a 13th Century pope was crowned and an imposing castle full of priceless relics.
The city of L’Aquila, near the quake’s epicenter, was transformed from a historic town built of warm, honey-colored stone into a disaster scene cloaked in choking gray dust.
Residents who had been sleeping peacefully were jolted awake by the 6.3 temblor, which ripped through the area after weeks of tremors and subterranean rumbles. The violent shaking leveled homes and dislodged masonry that smashed to the pavement or crushed cars.
Survivors wandered around, dazed, some still in their pajamas, others clutching mementos and random belongings grabbed from homes.
With an unknown number of victims still believed trapped under debris, authorities said up to 50,000 residents were made homeless.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency and canceled a trip to Moscow even as critics complained of official failure to strengthen buildings in an area prone to seismic activity.
Repeated tremors had been reported over the past few months in Abruzzo. One local scientist warned of an impending large quake before authorities blamed him for causing public panic with allegedly unfounded predictions.
As dusk fell, relief workers pitched tents for the displaced. Officials said 4,000 hotel rooms would be set aside for refugees.
Among the fallen structures were churches and other buildings of inestimable historical value, some dating to medieval times, according to Italy’s Ministry of Culture. The apse of L’Aquila’s Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio, a pink-and-white architectural gem that witnessed a papal coronation in 1294, collapsed. The temblor also razed a beautiful archway built in the 16th Century to honor the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
The tower of the city’s Renaissance-era Church of St. Bernardino di Siena came tumbling down, as did part of a castle from the same period. Old churches and castles dot the scenic Abruzzo countryside, making it a popular tourist destination. Authorities appealed to visitors to refrain from going to the area so as not to hamper relief efforts.
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De Cristofaro reported from Rome, and Chu reported from London.
See more photos of quake damage
For a photo gallery of the earthquake fallout in central Italy, go to chicagotribune.com/quake