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| Rebuilding the fabric of life in L'Aquila | Rebuilding the fabric of life in L'Aquila |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Part of L'Aquila's basilica - the symbol of the city - collapsed in the quake By Stephanie Holmes BBC News, L'Aquila | Part of L'Aquila's basilica - the symbol of the city - collapsed in the quake By Stephanie Holmes BBC News, L'Aquila |
| As she slowly turns the pages of a leather-bound album, revealing black and white pictures of her wedding in L'Aquila's basilica, Angela Ciano can barely hold back the tears. | As she slowly turns the pages of a leather-bound album, revealing black and white pictures of her wedding in L'Aquila's basilica, Angela Ciano can barely hold back the tears. |
| Unlike some L'Aquila residents, she did not lose her husband, child or home in the earthquake that devastated the city in April. | Unlike some L'Aquila residents, she did not lose her husband, child or home in the earthquake that devastated the city in April. |
| But the realisation that the places and structures that formed the fabric of her life are gone forever is still painful. | But the realisation that the places and structures that formed the fabric of her life are gone forever is still painful. |
| Angela was married in the ruined basilica | Angela was married in the ruined basilica |
| "What I felt was a sense of great loss," she tells me as she describes walking through L'Aquila in the hours immediately following the quake. | "What I felt was a sense of great loss," she tells me as she describes walking through L'Aquila in the hours immediately following the quake. |
| "I have that feeling with me still, today, of having lost not only the city with its monuments - which we can reconstruct - but the loss of my life, everyday life - meeting your friends in the cafe on the square or underneath the arches, the shops we used to have, my old offices." | "I have that feeling with me still, today, of having lost not only the city with its monuments - which we can reconstruct - but the loss of my life, everyday life - meeting your friends in the cafe on the square or underneath the arches, the shops we used to have, my old offices." |
| Stained city | Stained city |
| Her memories of that walk through the ruined city have stained her image of the city she still loves. | Her memories of that walk through the ruined city have stained her image of the city she still loves. |
| "I had taken my camera with me but I just couldn't bear to take any photos," she remembers. | "I had taken my camera with me but I just couldn't bear to take any photos," she remembers. |
| One of the most dramatically damaged buildings was the church where Angela was married 12 years ago, the Basilica Santa Maria di Collemaggio, which dates originally from the 13th Century. | One of the most dramatically damaged buildings was the church where Angela was married 12 years ago, the Basilica Santa Maria di Collemaggio, which dates originally from the 13th Century. |
| In pictures: Inside the basilica | In pictures: Inside the basilica |
| With its pink and white facade, it was a focal point for many of the city's believers, who prayed by the tomb of the monk who founded the church and became pope. | With its pink and white facade, it was a focal point for many of the city's believers, who prayed by the tomb of the monk who founded the church and became pope. |
| It is now being rebuilt again - as it has been several times during its history - but the buzz of cranes and the sound of hammering metal from outside cannot prepare you for the sight that awaits within. | It is now being rebuilt again - as it has been several times during its history - but the buzz of cranes and the sound of hammering metal from outside cannot prepare you for the sight that awaits within. |
| At one end of the nave a vast portion of the roof now lies as rubble on the floor. Arches that curved up towards the heavens have fallen, revealing the bricks behind, and the sky where workers dangle from cranes. | At one end of the nave a vast portion of the roof now lies as rubble on the floor. Arches that curved up towards the heavens have fallen, revealing the bricks behind, and the sky where workers dangle from cranes. |
| A stained glass window catches my eye - it seems open but in reality it has been partially sheered from its frame by the force of the quake. | A stained glass window catches my eye - it seems open but in reality it has been partially sheered from its frame by the force of the quake. |
| FROM THE BBC WORLD SERVICE Find out more about the World Service | FROM THE BBC WORLD SERVICE Find out more about the World Service |
| Metal scaffolding has been erected along the entire length of the nave as men in hard hats work at shoring up pillars. | Metal scaffolding has been erected along the entire length of the nave as men in hard hats work at shoring up pillars. |
| "When these things happen - we mustn't ask why did God want this?" says the rector, Don Nunzio, also in a hard hat, as well as his usual clerical garb. | "When these things happen - we mustn't ask why did God want this?" says the rector, Don Nunzio, also in a hard hat, as well as his usual clerical garb. |
| "They are natural events. We have to have the faith to say - it has been destroyed, we will rebuild it," he says. | "They are natural events. We have to have the faith to say - it has been destroyed, we will rebuild it," he says. |
| Tour of destruction | Tour of destruction |
| No Mass has been said in the basilica since the quake. Don Nunzio has been visiting his parishioners in their temporary homes - many in the tent cities that are scattered in fields around L'Aquila. | No Mass has been said in the basilica since the quake. Don Nunzio has been visiting his parishioners in their temporary homes - many in the tent cities that are scattered in fields around L'Aquila. |
| "For many, their faith will be reinforced, but for others it may fade," he admits. "They'll wonder how God could let all this destruction happen? They'll ask - couldn't he save us?" | "For many, their faith will be reinforced, but for others it may fade," he admits. "They'll wonder how God could let all this destruction happen? They'll ask - couldn't he save us?" |
| He bristles at the suggestion that it makes no sense to rebuild a city that, located on a faultline, remains continually at risk of destruction. | He bristles at the suggestion that it makes no sense to rebuild a city that, located on a faultline, remains continually at risk of destruction. |
| "You can't cancel out history, history stays in the heart and in the mind. To abandon history, not rebuild it means losing our identity. We want to rebuild and leave the sign of what happened - even if that was painful." | "You can't cancel out history, history stays in the heart and in the mind. To abandon history, not rebuild it means losing our identity. We want to rebuild and leave the sign of what happened - even if that was painful." |
| This cultural heritage is part of their lives [...] they want to return to the city they knew, where they grew up Francesco GiroVice-Minister of Culture | This cultural heritage is part of their lives [...] they want to return to the city they knew, where they grew up Francesco GiroVice-Minister of Culture |
| The Italian government has been encouraging foreign governments - along with Italian provinces and multinationals - to "adopt" a building and fund its renovation. | The Italian government has been encouraging foreign governments - along with Italian provinces and multinationals - to "adopt" a building and fund its renovation. |
| The G8 summit in July was shifted from the glamorous holiday island of Sardinia to L'Aquila at the last minute and foreign delegations were given a tour of destruction. | The G8 summit in July was shifted from the glamorous holiday island of Sardinia to L'Aquila at the last minute and foreign delegations were given a tour of destruction. |
| Funds required vary from 50m euros ($71m; £43m) for the reconstruction of the basilica, to a few hundred thousand euros to patch up simple rural churches. | Funds required vary from 50m euros ($71m; £43m) for the reconstruction of the basilica, to a few hundred thousand euros to patch up simple rural churches. |
| Already France has adopted the church of the 18th Century Santa Maria del Suffragio in the city and Spain is considering funding the Spanish fort, originally built in 1534. | Already France has adopted the church of the 18th Century Santa Maria del Suffragio in the city and Spain is considering funding the Spanish fort, originally built in 1534. |
| So far, 1,360 structures, 765 churches and 535 buildings have been added to the list of those in and around the city that need repair and restoration. | So far, 1,360 structures, 765 churches and 535 buildings have been added to the list of those in and around the city that need repair and restoration. |
| City of memories | City of memories |
| The centre of L'Aquila is now known as the "red zone". It has been totally emptied, cleared and sealed and now even people who lived there have to get special permission to be accompanied back inside. | The centre of L'Aquila is now known as the "red zone". It has been totally emptied, cleared and sealed and now even people who lived there have to get special permission to be accompanied back inside. |
| The eagle - dislodged by the quake - is the city's symbol | The eagle - dislodged by the quake - is the city's symbol |
| Many of the damaged buildings wear delicate wooden scaffolds, like corsets, around their damaged cupolas and arches. | Many of the damaged buildings wear delicate wooden scaffolds, like corsets, around their damaged cupolas and arches. |
| These are deemed less invasive than metal scaffolding, and are more flexible when tremors occur - as they still frequently do. | These are deemed less invasive than metal scaffolding, and are more flexible when tremors occur - as they still frequently do. |
| Specialist firemen, many of whom normally work in Italy's Alpine regions have been deployed to do the delicate job of making the buildings safe, suspended from cranes instead of mountain faces. | Specialist firemen, many of whom normally work in Italy's Alpine regions have been deployed to do the delicate job of making the buildings safe, suspended from cranes instead of mountain faces. |
| On the main road leaving the city, where shops and supermarkets announce they are open for business, a billboard proclaims: "A city is not made of its buildings, but its people". | On the main road leaving the city, where shops and supermarkets announce they are open for business, a billboard proclaims: "A city is not made of its buildings, but its people". |
| But the country's Vice-Minister of Culture, Francesco Giro, doesn't see it quite like that. | But the country's Vice-Minister of Culture, Francesco Giro, doesn't see it quite like that. |
| "The two things aren't mutually exclusive," he tells me in his sumptuous office in Rome. | "The two things aren't mutually exclusive," he tells me in his sumptuous office in Rome. |
| "This cultural heritage is part of their lives - they are asking us not just for their home but also for their church, the square, the little street - they want to return to the city they knew, where they grew up." | "This cultural heritage is part of their lives - they are asking us not just for their home but also for their church, the square, the little street - they want to return to the city they knew, where they grew up." |