We arrived in Rome and headed straight to L’Aquila for a few days before going
to Villa Santa Lucia for the reunion activities. I was born in L’Aquila, and
yes it is true, my twin brother(Luigi) was born nine hours earlier in Villa.
Unfortunately L’Aquila has lost most its historical beauty following the earthquake on April 6, 2009. There has been much
restoration work, however it is ongoing and will probably continue for the next
few decades. Some locations look like a war zone, with many buildings boarded
up, support beams holding major retaining walls and houses held together by
steel cables. It was very sad to see the amount of destruction; however I
didn’t realize that Julie would become so emotional. Over 300 people died during
the earthquake and most families in the heart of L’Aquila had to leave their
homes. One of the areas restored is the Fontana delle 99 Cannelle, which at one
time was the local area where women went to wash their cloths. The fountain is
rectangular, with three of the walls having the 99 fountain spouts – each with
a human face sculpture.
Check
out Picasa Week 1 photos Arriving in L’Aquila (CTRL+Link to open in a new
tab)
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