Amatrice

2018 World Monuments Watch

Beginning in the summer of 2016, a sequence of earthquakes rattled Central Italy, resulting in tragic loss of life and property. The earthquake that struck in the early morning of August 24, 2016 devastated the hill town of Amatrice, causing 299 deaths and approximately 400 injuries. Later that day, the mayor of Amatrice poignantly declared: “The town is no more.” Numerous aftershocks and smaller tremors forced thousands in Italy’s central region to leave their homes. Outside Amatrice, temporary settlements were erected out of prefabricated buildings to house displaced residents.

In total, damages to property and infrastructure from recent seismic events have been estimated at more than 20 billion euros. And while government aid was promptly announced, local communities have continuously called for more concrete steps towards recovery, which could last for years. For this reason, the 2018 World Monuments Watch is an expression of sustained international interest in the future of Amatrice.

Italy is famously prone to earthquakes, and even earthquakes of smaller magnitude can be devastating to unreinforced masonry buildings. Yet the cultural value that these buildings embody – through their design, materials, and workmanship – can fuel community resilience and become a key component on the road to recovery. In Amatrice, although most of the town’s buildings collapsed, the bell tower of the medieval church of Sant’Emidio survived, an emblem of hope and resilience amid the devastation. (The bell tower of the church of Sant'Agostino also survived, only to collapse in a subsequent tremor.) Since 2002, the church of Sant’Emidio had housed the city’s museum, named after Cola Filotesio, a Renaissance artist from Amatrice. Much of the museum’s collection was salvaged thanks to emergency responders, but the ruined remains of the building now require structural stabilization and sheltering.

As the debate about future reconstruction of this and other buildings takes place, the 2018 Watch is also a reminder of the need for better disaster prevention and preparedness, which Italy has pioneered. That includes retrofitting historic buildings to render them more resistant to earthquakes, even as our knowledge of the best methods to use continually evolves. It also includes compiling accurate inventories of all heritage assets and engaging in emergency planning, for when disaster strikes.

Since the Watch

After Amatrice's nomination to the 2018 Watch, six large public grants allowed the emergency conservation of Museo Cola Filotesio, including the stabilization of the bell tower and removal of interior debris.

In the town, efforts to reestablish the viability of Amatrice began, including restoration of all primary infrastructure, permanent removal of rubble, and documentation and cataloguing that will be utilized during reconstruction.

In November 2017, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage (MiBACT) and the Museo delle Terme di Diocleziano in Rome launched the exhibition "Rinascite," which features a selection of artwork extracted from the rubble of Amatrice.

One of Eight Sites Awarded Funding by American Express

In June 2018, American Express announced $1 million total in funding to support preservation efforts at eight 2018 Watch sites. Included among these was the town of Amatrice. WMF is coordinating with the local authorities to determine where best to intervene.