Earthquake killed 400 people in Belice Valley, Sicily, in 1968
The earthquake that occurred between January 14 and 15, 1968 in the Belice Valley, Italy, completes 50 years this Sunday (14), and the region of Sicily, the scene of the tragedy, has scheduled a series of events to remember the episode.
The most important ceremony will take place this Sunday, with the presence of the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, born in Palermo, and the mayors of the cities affected by the earthquake, in the “Giacomo Leggio” auditorium, in Partanna. During the ceremony, Mattarella will hand out plaques in memory of the people who gave their lives to help those affected by the earthquake.
In the city of Sambuca di Sicilia, the Mother Church, built in 1420, will finally reopen its doors, after a long renovation.
Also in memory of the tragedy, Italy will host photographic exhibitions, the first of which opened this Friday (12), in the city of Chiusa Sclafani. The program also includes theatrical plays, such as the one that will be shown at the Municipal Theater of Sambuco, on Saturday (13), with actor Alessandro Preziosi and musician Lello Analfino.
In turn, the city of Montevago, on January 14, will have a mass in honor of the victims celebrated by the Cardinal of Agrigento, Francesco Montenegro. Furthermore, in May, the Giro d'Italia, one of the most important races in world cycling, will have a stage in Santa Ninfa, one of the places hit by the earthquake.
The Belice earthquake had a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale and killed around 400 people, including 10 rescuers, in addition to leaving 90 people homeless.
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