Earthquake Devastates Medieval Churches And Sites In Italy

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake shook Italy Sunday morning, devastating in its wake historic churches and landmark buildings, dating back to the Middle Ages.

So far, there have been no deaths and only "tens" of injuries reported, but the damage around the country had been extensive. For instance, The Washington Post reported that the walls of a hillside cemetery in Preci came crashing down the abbey of St. Euticius, a 5^th century structure created by a group of Syrian monks and hermits - and has now been crushed under the weight of its own burial ground.

Arquata del Tronto, an old town in the central region of Le Marche, was also virtually destroyed, along with it a 13^th-century church dedicated to St. Francis, leaving the castle remains standing guard over the ruins.

The earthquake followed the tremors felt last week, and coming on the heels of a devastating quake experienced in August that killed nearly 300 people and flattening entire villages. This time around, however, there had been no reports of death as many residents have not yet returned to their villages since the August catastrophe.

CNN also reported that some 15,000 people are without electricity, and some villages have been cut off, so the impact had not been assessed thoroughly, noted the civil protection chief Fabrizio Curcio.

Authorities are hopeful that there will, in fact be no deaths - many of the residents had already been evacutated to emergency camps and hotel rooms paid for by the government, and schools have been shut down in anticipation of powerful aftershocks.

Still, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is not overly concerned. After thanking rescuers, he vowed to rebuild the damaged villages, saying that "Italy has many faults, but these situations bring out the best of us," he said. He also said that the country would rebuild houses, churches and shops, adding that they will rebuild everything. "We have the resources to do it."