“La Passione degli Umbri”
Maria Rita Silvestrelli
The day of the earthquake, the 30th October 2016, was a sunny and warm autumn day. The smash, heard from far away, opened up deep wounds in Norcia, the town where “you can breathe the air of civilization” (Guido Piovene). Long sections of the city walls have collapsed, as well as a huge portion of the famous San Benedetto’s basilica, just the façade still stands up. A ruin is also the church of San Salvatore in Campi with its fifteenth century frescoes painted by Nicola da Siena and the Sparapane. Also the abbey of San Eutizio in Preci has suffered serious injuries. It is a real war bulletin for the cultural heritage. As in an ancient lauda, nowadays this tormented land appears the scenery for “The Passion of Umbrian people”.