THE TERRIBLE DAWN OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
the evening of December 27, 1908, no one could possibly imagine that the unprecedented catastrophe from there a few hours, would cause the destruction of Messina, Reggio semidistruzione and caused untold damage to the surrounding cities of both coasts. It was a quiet December evening, festive evening. At the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele di Messina, in fact, gave the first of Aida, while walking through a Reggio course lit by street lamps powered by electricity, thanks to a modern facility opened just the day before. After the party, and a night which saw rain down a slow, but steady, at 5:21 on Monday 28 December, the earth shook for 37 interminable seconds. It was an impressive kick, one of the most powerful of all the history of earthquakes in Italy, which reached the 11 ° -12 degrees on the Mercalli scale. Many of those who managed to escape the collapse of buildings, died in the tsunami wave over 10 meters high that it issued. They suffered serious damage inland road, rail, telegraph and telephone. In all the victims were over 140,000. The epicenter of the quake was also the Strait of Messina and Scylla, which always dominates, suffered severe damage and loss of many men. There were many victims, and most people died because, trying to find refuge on the beach of Marina Grande, was attacked by the imposing mass of water that did not give her a chance. Among the victims was also the priest Francesco Bellantoni, canon of the Collegiate Church, whose fate was assimilated to that of his brother, the priest Joseph Bovi, who died in the earthquake of 1783 whose remains are found, to his expressed will, in the church of San Giuseppe. How many people have lost their entire family, many children have died and those who have grown up orphans?! . The earthquake was a veritable scourge for the people of Scilla and also for its immense artistic and cultural heritage. Since our area with high seismic risk, there are many earthquakes that have plagued our land, but now he had changed the conditions necessary for a new revival: 1) a strong economy, 2) the mentality to recover as much as possible the buildings and churches in order to preserve the historical memory. The previous earthquake, that of 1783, was also abnormal flow, and despite this, the most beautiful and venusta Scilla resources than before. The church of San Rocco was enlarged and enriched with marble and stucco, the main church was also enlarged and enriched by two massive towers on the facade, the church of the Holy Spirit that dates back to 1752, suffered no damage from the earthquake of 1783 but by following the tsunami, and despite this, it was restored within a few years. But now, as I wrote a moment ago, were less able to carry out the groundwork for a reconstruction worthy of being called such. Very weak economy after almost 50 years by the National, highlighted the gap between North and South of Italy, a mentality that was to completely destroy and rebuild, rather than recover, and thus save what can be saved and, last but not least, a slow bureaucracy, made the earthquake of 1908, the greatest catastrophe ever to hit our earth.
.
.
Rocco Panucci
the evening of December 27, 1908, no one could possibly imagine that the unprecedented catastrophe from there a few hours, would cause the destruction of Messina, Reggio semidistruzione and caused untold damage to the surrounding cities of both coasts. It was a quiet December evening, festive evening. At the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele di Messina, in fact, gave the first of Aida, while walking through a Reggio course lit by street lamps powered by electricity, thanks to a modern facility opened just the day before. After the party, and a night which saw rain down a slow, but steady, at 5:21 on Monday 28 December, the earth shook for 37 interminable seconds. It was an impressive kick, one of the most powerful of all the history of earthquakes in Italy, which reached the 11 ° -12 degrees on the Mercalli scale. Many of those who managed to escape the collapse of buildings, died in the tsunami wave over 10 meters high that it issued. They suffered serious damage inland road, rail, telegraph and telephone. In all the victims were over 140,000. The epicenter of the quake was also the Strait of Messina and Scylla, which always dominates, suffered severe damage and loss of many men. There were many victims, and most people died because, trying to find refuge on the beach of Marina Grande, was attacked by the imposing mass of water that did not give her a chance. Among the victims was also the priest Francesco Bellantoni, canon of the Collegiate Church, whose fate was assimilated to that of his brother, the priest Joseph Bovi, who died in the earthquake of 1783 whose remains are found, to his expressed will, in the church of San Giuseppe. How many people have lost their entire family, many children have died and those who have grown up orphans?! . The earthquake was a veritable scourge for the people of Scilla and also for its immense artistic and cultural heritage. Since our area with high seismic risk, there are many earthquakes that have plagued our land, but now he had changed the conditions necessary for a new revival: 1) a strong economy, 2) the mentality to recover as much as possible the buildings and churches in order to preserve the historical memory. The previous earthquake, that of 1783, was also abnormal flow, and despite this, the most beautiful and venusta Scilla resources than before. The church of San Rocco was enlarged and enriched with marble and stucco, the main church was also enlarged and enriched by two massive towers on the facade, the church of the Holy Spirit that dates back to 1752, suffered no damage from the earthquake of 1783 but by following the tsunami, and despite this, it was restored within a few years. But now, as I wrote a moment ago, were less able to carry out the groundwork for a reconstruction worthy of being called such. Very weak economy after almost 50 years by the National, highlighted the gap between North and South of Italy, a mentality that was to completely destroy and rebuild, rather than recover, and thus save what can be saved and, last but not least, a slow bureaucracy, made the earthquake of 1908, the greatest catastrophe ever to hit our earth.
.
.
Rocco Panucci
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