by Björn Schöpe
June 7, 2012 – Many visitors know the Emilia-Romagna as ‘Italy’s stomach’, a favoured place for holidays, it is one of Italy’s most productive regions and not only blessed with Parmesan cheese and Parma ham, but also with so many of Italy’s most important cultural monuments especially from the Italian Renaissance.
Ferrara, Castello Estense. The clock tower at the former domicile of the d’Este, Ferrara’s landmark, was heavily damaged. Photo: Sailko / Wikipedia.
On May 20 this region was surprisingly hit by an earthquake whose epicentre was located nearby Modena registering 5.9 on the Richter scale. Since the 16th century such a natural catastrophe had not happened there any more. Then the noble house d’Este left Ferrara after an enormous earthquake. The aftershocks continued for years and only later the nobles turned home and rebuilt their palaces anew.
The heavy earthquake in May destroyed many buildings. Why modern factories, warehouses and new residential buildings apparently had not been constructed antiseismics, and over all why people lost their lives as a result of the catastrophe, all these questions the authorities are investigating yet. However, like always the sufferers are those who have been made homeless and lost all their property. Thousands of people are currently living in emergency accommodations. In order to simplify the possibilities of assistance to the region Rome declared it emergency area. Also financial aid has been promised.
The coin dealer and auctioneer Numismatica Varesi in Pavia declared his solidarity with the victims pointing to two accounts for donations established by affected cities. We too having friends in Emilia-Romagna join this appeal publishing the bank details hence you might know how to help people financially.
The church of Mirabello from the 19th century was badly hit. Photo: Mario Fornasari / Wikipedia.
Mirandola nearby Modena has been especially heavily damaged, workers even lost their lives. To many this town is known as the birthplace of the famous Renaissance philosopher Pico della Mirandola. You can donate directly to the town (Comune di Mirandola), making a transfer to the account:
IBAN IT87N0503466850000000005050
SWIFT BAPPIT21405
You can help the province of Modena through this account:
IBAN IT52M0200812930000003398693
In both cases to indicate as reason: terremoto maggio 2012.
The city of Ferrara, also heavily affected, calls for donations too:
IBAN: IT26K0615513015000003204201
BIC/SWIFT: CFERIT2FERRARA
reason: emergenza terremoto Ferrara
We can only hope that the region will not be agitated by aftershocks for the coming years. Since only when people will live again in steady buildings one may dedicate oneself to the other part of the enormous damage: the numerous cultural monuments of which many have been hit by the earthquake or even completely destroyed and in which the Emilia abounds.
How heavily Ferrara’s landmark, the Castello d’Estense, has been hit at the famous clock tower you can see in this video clip.
You will find the website of Numismatica Varesi here.
Mirandola’s appeal for money.
Information of the city Modena.
The Protezione Civile informs about current news concerning the earthquake and continuing aftershocks.
A first BBC report on the earthquake.