September 26, 1997: The quake of Assisi
In the early afternoon of September 26, 1997 a sequence of earthquakes hit the Italian province of Umbria. The two main quakes, with a magnitude of 5.6-5.8, were followed by a series of aftershocks - one aftershock was so strong that it caused the partial collapse of the damaged roof of the basilica of St.
By David Bressan
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
In the early afternoon of September 26, 1997 a sequence of earthquakes hit the Italian province of Umbria. The two main quakes, with a magnitude of 5.6-5.8, were followed by a series of aftershocks - one aftershock was so strong that it caused the partial collapse of the damaged roof of the basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. This event was filmed during a meeting to evaluate the damage sustained by the historic frescos of the ceiling.
Fig.1. Four persons were killed when the roof of the basilica of Assisi suddenly collapsed. Like a grim reminder that earthquakes are frequent events in the Apennines a fresco in another basilica - possibly painted by the great artist Giotto (1267-1337)- shows a woman recovering the body of her daughter from a collapsed building. The legend attributes the destruction to an earthquake and tells also the miraculous reanimation of the dead daughter by St. Francis (image in public domain).
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
