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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.

Earthquake, tourism collapses

Written by  Isabella Cattania

But the decision to restart was immediate

07-01The damage sustained by buildings and structures after an earthquake can generally be seen immediately. But experience teaches us that these visible damages are also an indication of others. Starting with the decline, as a result of an inevitable and ruthless domino effect, of entire business sectors, among which we must frequently include the tourism industry. This is what happened in Ferrara after the May 2012 earthquake. According to data provided by the Provincial Administration on the number of tourists visiting the city, all operators in this sector recorded a sharp drop in customers and therefore a reduction in economic activity both for themselves and, more generally, for the city's economy. And we may well wonder what would have happened if the decision to take action had not been immediate. In the case of the "Tourism Fair of the 100 It07-02alian Cities of Art" for example, scheduled for the days immediately following the earthquake, the Province and organizers decided to confirm the event. It took place in the castle rooms, ensuring that operators from all over the world could not only admire our city, but also the citizens who demonstrated their ability to react immediately. Likewise with "Ferrara sotto le Stelle", the "Ferrara Buskers Festival", the "Internazionale Festival" and the "Ferrara Balloons Festival", which were all organized as per normal and produ07-03ced very good results, even though they were carried out in strict compliance with the stringent safety regulations. Two important decisions have also marked the beginning of autumn. The first was to reopen the city theatre, which was severely damaged during the earthquake and, at the same time, "Ferrara Arte" dedicated the Palazzo dei Diamanti autumn exhibition to the artists whose works are housed 07-04in the Giovanni Boldini Museum, the Museum of the Nineteenth Century and in the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. The exhibition has received a great number of visitors. Even private operators, aware of the inevitable, dramatic fall in attendance, continued organizing initiatives, such as "Street Dinner", which was also filmed by the cameras of Discovery Channel. That's not all. Although heavily affected by the earthquake, the world of tourism also participated in acts of solidarity, with many facilities opening their doors to those who did not even have a bed to sleep on. All evidence that the city and province have shown, and continue to demonstrate, that they are capable of coping with a disaster that has devastated a large part of the Ferrara territory.