image image image image image
The earthquakes of May 20th and 29th, 2012 A provisional report of a dramatic experience The earthquake in Emilia has left profound scars, caused suffering and added further difficulty to what was already a complex economic situation. There has, however, been an extraordinary response to this disaster.
The reaction to the devastating “earth breath” Courage and solidarity Several months have passed since the profound and lethal "earth breath" of May 20th which made us discover how fragile we are. If it is when faced with difficulties that we see how a community reacts, then Ferrara has shown extraordinary strength.
Doing business in an earthquake zone Will, pragmatism and creativity The earthquakes of May 2012 extensively and violently damaged the most productive district of our province - the upper Ferrara area which houses most of the industrial activity of the area.
“We’re still here, we haven’t left” Small businesses and craftsmen Eight months after the earthquake it is possible to take stock of the situation, analyzing what has been done. I can testify that, after the initial pain and discomfort, my colleagues and craftsmen reacted by rolling up their sleeves and removing the rubble from homes and businesses.
Tha agricultural sector and the earthquake Facts and considerations Old rural culture has always been cautiously afraid of leap years. In the 2012 leap year we witnessed a catastrophic earthquake and a devastating drought that
extensively damaged not only agricultural buildings but also the farm revenue for a large part of the upper Ferrara area.

The reaction to the devastating “earth breath”

Written by  Claudio Castagnoli

Courage and solidarity

Several months have passed since the profound and lethal "earth breath" of May 20th which made us discover how fragile we are. If it is when faced with difficulties that we see how a community reacts, then Ferrara has shown extraordinary strength.

A02-01fter the earthquake on May 20th, from the early hours of the morning, everyone was in the Prefecture, ready to face the unimaginable. A wonderful chain of solidarity and efficiency was created, with the Fire Department tirelessly making safe public and private buildings and churches, as well as recovering historic and artistic treasures. I will never forget the faces of the mayors of the worst hit towns as they entered the Prefecture at about eleven02-02 o'clock that morning. Exhausted and stunned but ready to become indispensable reference points for the entire community, without a thought for rest, selflessly dedicating all their time and energy to the local people. We must also thank the Municipal Police, the Chief and all of his officers, who worked indefatigably for days; the splendid work of the Army and Civil Defence volunteers: so many uniforms and so many hearts ready to give themselves to others just for the pleasure of doing it!02-03
After the first moments of fear and pain, the entire community of Ferrara have shown the ability to instantly tune their instruments and, just as quickly, assemble an extraordinary orchestra that can produce the most beautiful sound - that of the iron will to start again, to get up and restart without delay.