The earthquake that hit Amatrice, Accumuli and Arquata del Tronto took everything away. But the desire to start over and the hope remain
August 2016: at 3.36 on the night of 24 a violent earthquake of magnitude 6.0 shakes the Center of Italy. The earth shakes for a few seconds. But the consequences are dramatic. 299 victims and a pile of rubble ad Amateur, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto, the most affected places.
A year later, in the earthquake zones life goes on with difficulty. The earth has not stopped shaking and with every shaking fear has returned. The rubble is still there and the reconstruction is slow. There are those who no longer have a home and still live on the coast. There are those who are left without work and those who have to deal with the greatest pain, that linked to the loss of loved ones.
Le open wounds there are many and citizens point the finger at the bureaucracy, which blocks the necessary works. Yet, with determined obstinacy, many people try to leave, putting in place an inner strength that they did not even know they had.
Lucia, Alessandra, Melania, Maria Rita: 4 women who survived the terrible earthquake in Amatrice
Lucia left from work by opening a goldsmith's shop
Lucia, 28 years old, the night of the earthquake, was in Civita, a fraction of Cascia, about 10 km from Amatrice. At that time he still lived with his parents. Two weeks later she got married and today she lives in Mail, a town a quarter of an hour from Amatrice.
After the earthquake, Lucia opened a artistic workshop in which he makes sculpture, painting and goldsmithing on commission. One of his works is exhibited in Venice, a tree of life called "Rebirth". The leaves are equal in number to the dead of the Amatrice earthquake.
Alessandra helped her parents reopen the shop
Alessandra, 46 years old, the night of the earthquake he was at home with his son in Amatrice. She survived by a miracle, as the terrible shock knocked her out of bed and flattened her on the floor with the ceiling collapsed within an inch of her nose. Even the son made it. But that night she lost a dear friend and her baby boy.
After the earthquake, Alessandra returned to Amateur where he lives in a housing unit. Helped shopkeeper parents reopen the appliance store and products for the home in the new shopping center that has just opened.
Melania has lost her uncles and a little cousin, her job and her home
Melania, 22 years old, during that terrible night he worked in restaurant of her boyfriend in Amatrice. That evening he lost his aunt, his uncle, a little cousin. For six months he lived in a camper with his grandfather. Today they live in a small house. The earthquake took everything away from her but not the desire to start over. For a month now, Melania has been a waitress inrefreshment area of Amatrice built thanks to the funds raised by ThLa7 and Corriere della Sera. It is run by her boyfriend's family.
Maria Rita still lives in the hotel with her family
Maria Rita, 43 years old, that evening of the earthquake she was in her bedroom, with her husband and her children. His home was damaged. For a long time he slept in the car with his family. Today they live in a hotel room on the coast. They asked for the housing module to Amatrice but still not assigned to them, as their home has not been destroyed.
After the earthquake, Maria Rita reopened the pharmacy out of a sense of responsibility. Every day he travels 200 km there and back. But he feels like doing it because he cannot fail in such an important service.