Gemona del Friuli – The tragedy of the 1976 earthquake in Friuli profoundly marked the history of our region, forever changing the face and life of this land, its towns and its communities.
From the rubble, however, this strong and determined people managed to rise again with unparalleled dignity, and to give an example of concreteness, trust and extraordinary generosity.
Today, talking about the “Friuli model” means talking about something that can be achieved even when everything seems lost and everything devastated.
These are some of the concepts expressed by the governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia who on the evening of Monday 6 May took part in the celebrations organized in Gemona del Friuli to honor the memory of those who, on the evening of 6 May 1976, perished following the devastating earthquake and to remember the important reconstruction work that allowed the Friulian people to be reborn.
After meeting under the municipal loggia, the participants reached the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta where they took part in the solemn mass, officiated by Monsignor Valentino Costante, with the greeting of the new archbishop of Udine, Monsignor Riccardo Lamba.
At the end of the rite, 400 bells rang in succession from the nearby castle tower, to remember each person who died that evening in the Friulian municipality.
Then, authorities and citizens formed a procession and reached the municipal cemetery where a wreath was placed in memory of all the victims of the earthquake.
The governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia recalled how one of the most generous and deep-rooted volunteering organizations of our time was born from such a painful experience: Civil Protection, which in our region has reached among the highest levels of professionalism and ability to operate quickly and with great effectiveness in emergency theaters both in Italy and abroad.
The technical and organizational path that led to the reconstruction of the territories devastated by the earthquake in just over 15 years today helps those who have to face emergency situations.
48 years later – it was underlined – the memory of the immense tragedy and the reconstruction are part of the collective conscience of Friulians, including young people. Thanks to that example, the new generations can become protagonists of their future, strengthened by a model that has made industriousness and identity profound values in which they can recognize themselves on a daily basis.
