Editing L'Aquila (section)

===Earthquakes===
{{See also|2009 L'Aquila earthquake}}

[[File:L'Aquila eathquake prefettura.jpg|thumb|right|The local [[prefecture]] (a government office) damaged by the earthquake.]]
[[File:G8 Summit - 8 July 2009-9.jpg|thumb|Leaders pose for a group photo on the first day of the G8 Summit.]]

Earthquakes mark the history of L'Aquila, as the city is partly built on an ancient lake-bed which amplifies seismic activity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abruzzo2000.com/abruzzo/laquila/laquila.htm |title=L'Aquila, prov. of L'Aquila, Abruzzo |publisher=Abruzzo2000.com |access-date=April 6, 2009 |archive-date=January 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107041045/http://abruzzo2000.com/abruzzo/laquila/laquila.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.earth-prints.org/bitstream/2122/1777/1/03%20d'addezio.pdf Earth-prints.org]</ref>

On 3 December 1315 the city was struck by an earthquake which seriously damaged the [[Francis of Assisi|San Francesco]] Church. Another earthquake struck on [[1349 Apennine earthquakes|9 September 1349]],<ref>[http://news-town.it/cultura-e-societa/4650-aquila,-il-terremoto-del-9-settembre-1349-665-anni-dopo,-il-racconto-di-un-inviato.html Aquila, il terremoto del 9 settembre 1349: 665 anni dopo, il racconto] News Town</ref> killing about 800 people. Other earthquakes struck in 1452, then on [[1461 L'Aquila earthquake|26 November 1461]], and again in 1501 and 1646. On 3 February 1703 a [[1703 Apennine earthquakes|major earthquake]] struck the town. More than 3,000 people died and almost all the churches collapsed; [[Rocca Calascio]], the highest fortress in Europe was also ruined by this event, yet the town survived. L'Aquila was then repopulated by decision of [[Pope Clement XI]]. The town was rocked by earthquake [[1706 Abruzzo earthquake|again in 1706]]. On 26 June 1958 an earthquake of 5.0 [[moment magnitude scale|magnitude]] struck the town.

On 6 April 2009, at 01:32 GMT (03:32 CEST) an [[2009 L'Aquila earthquake|earthquake]] of 6.3 [[moment magnitude scale|magnitude]] struck central Italy with its epicentre near L'Aquila, at {{Coord|42.4228|13.3945|type:event_region:IT-AQ|name=Earthquake April 6, 2009}}.<ref>[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/catalogs/eqs1day-M1.txt USGS.gov]</ref> Initial reports said the earthquake caused damage to between 3,000 and 10,000 buildings in L'Aquila.<ref name="Powerful Italian quake kills many">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7984867.stm
|title=Powerful Italian quake kills many
|date=April 6, 2009 |access-date=<!---April 6, 2009--->|work=BBC News  | location = London}}</ref>  Several buildings also collapsed. 308 people were killed by the earthquake, and approximately 1,500 people were injured. Twenty of the victims were children.<ref name="tg18apr0800">{{cite news
 |title=TG1 ed. 08.00 08.04 integrale 
 |url=http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-d1df6706-b680-47e8-88ad-d3a689661eff.html 
 |publisher=[[TG1]] 
 |language=it 
 |date=April 8, 2009 
 |access-date=April 9, 2009 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407072232/http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-d1df6706-b680-47e8-88ad-d3a689661eff.html?p=0
 |archive-date=April 7, 2014
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref> Around 65,000 people were made homeless.<ref name="Pope">{{cite news
 | title = Pope visits Italian village hit hardest by earthquake
 | first = John
 | last = Hooper
 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/28/pope-visits-earthquake-zone
 | newspaper=The Guardian
 | location = London
 | date = April 28, 2009 }}</ref>  There were many students trapped in a partially collapsed dormitory.<ref>RAI One news. Live reports from L'Aquila, retrieved April 6, 2009, =9:26 CET</ref> The 6 April earthquake was felt throughout [[Abruzzo]]; as far away as Rome, other parts of [[Lazio]], Marche, [[Molise]], [[Umbria]], and [[Campania]].