Backgrounder: Chronology of major earthquakes since 2008 Death toll from quake in central Italy rises to 287, with 29,000 others homeless ROME, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Italy will present 38 monuments damaged by the April 6 earthquake in L'Aquila and surrounding towns for "adoption" by countries that have volunteered to help fund their repair, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said on Thursday. The premier made the remarks after talking with Culture Minister Sandro Bondi, who had toured L'Aquila to assess the damage to art sites. According to Berlusconi
, a list of damaged monuments should be put forward and the amount of fund for repairs should be defined. "I'll present that list to all the friends who offered to help immediately after the quake," said the premier, quipping that it would be a "sort of wedding gifts list." Last week, Berlusconi talked to a number of foreign leaders who expressed interest in his idea of each country helping fund the repair of a major art site. Local media reports said Berlusconi already received "interested" replies last week from Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Pakistani Premier Yousaf Raza Gillani
, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, Slovenian Premier Borut Pahor and French Premier Francois Fillon. "(Spanish Premier Jose' Luis Rodriguez) Zapatero mentioned the Spanish fort at L'Aquila. Maybe he can take care of that," said Berlusconi. The government would step in to fund repairs for monuments that "foreign friends" could not adopt, he added. "The repair program will all be strictly scheduled, with signs indicating dates for the start and end of work. Funds will not be an issue," he said. In fact, L?��Aquila?��s entire artistic heritage suffered serious damage in the April 6 earthquake. Abruzzo's largest Romanesque church, the 13th-century Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio, was perhaps the best-known building hit by the tremor. The Basilica, with its famed pink-and-white jewel-box facade, was the site of the coronation of Pope Celestine V in 1294, and thousands of pilgrims still flock there each year. The cupola of the 17th-century Anime Sante church designed by Giuseppe Valadier and the bell tower of L'Aquila's largest Renaissance church, San Bernardino da Siena, were also damaged. The Porta Napoli, the oldest and most beautiful gate to the city, built in 1548 in honor of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
, was destroyed in the quake. A 16th-century castle housing the National Museum of Abruzzo was also hurt in the earthquake. Cultural ministry: 60% of Italian heritage sites at risk of earthquakes ROME, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Uffizi Gallery in Florence and Hadrian's Villa near Rome are among some 60 percent of Italy's heritage sites at risk of earthquakes, the Italian culture ministry said Thursday. At a conference in the wake of the April 6 earthquake that damaged all churches and heritage buildings in the Abruzzo region's capital, L'Aquila, the culture ministry called for enhancing of a 2007 program of controls and risk reduction for the150
,000 buildings thought to be vulnerable. Full storyItalian PM says housing for survivors priority in quake-hit region L'AQUILA, Italy
, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said here on Thursday the government's priority is to provide houses for quake survivors. Berlusconi said the government plans to build new towns close to existing ones with the help of funds from each of Italy's 100 provinces. Italy probes construction faults of quake-ruined houses ROME
, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Italian government has launched a judicial inquiry after several buildings which had collapsed in the L'Aquila earthquake were found made of poor materials. L'Aquila's public prosecutor Alfredo Rossini said Tuesday that the San Salvatore hospital which collapsed in the 6.2-magnitude quake last Monday will be "one of the principal points" of inquiry over construction safety.Italy holds national funeral for victims of earthquake in L'Aquila A woman and her son leave a rose during the state funeral ceremony following the earthquake in Aquila April 10, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)Strong aftershock felt as Italy's rescue operation enters second day A view of Santa Maria Paganica church, damaged after an earthquake in the Abruzzo capital L'Aquila April 7, 2009. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)Full story Strong earthquake strikes central Italy ROME, April 6 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 rocked central Italy early Monday morning, damaging buildings in the epicenter
, some 95 km northeast of Rome, local media reported. The temblor has caused the collapse of some buildings in the old town of Aquila, where the epicenter was located, the ANSA news agency reported, adding that many residents were panicked and fled to streets. Full storyChinese president expresses condolences over Italian quake BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday sent a message of condolences to his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano over the heavy loss of life and property in a deadly earthquake that struck central Italy. In the message, Hu expressed condolences to the victims and their families and those affected by the earthquake on behalf of the Chinese government and people as well as in his own name. Full storyUN chief voices sorrow over deadly earthquake UNITED NATIONS, April 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday expressed his sadness over the heavy loss of life in this morning's earthquake in central Italy, with the United Nations having alerted the European nation's government that it is prepared to provide disaster response support.
