President Sergio Mattarella arrived
in Gemona in the northeastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia region on
Friday for the first leg of a tour commemorating the 40th
anniversary of an earthquake there that claimed nearly 1,000
lives.
Mattarella first made a private visit to the monumental
cemetery to pay homage to the 400 victims from Gemona, before
being received by Mayor Paolo Urbani and representatives of the
civilian and military authorities.
The president then walked along Via Bini at the heart of
the earthquake to reach the cathedral, where he was greeted by
the archbishop of Udine, Bruno Mazzoccato, the mayor of Gemona
in 1976, Ivano Benvenuti, and the then regional executive
councillor for reconstruction, Salvatore Varisco.
Mattarella then left Gemona for the nearby Venzone which
was also badly damaged in the May 6 earthquake and another
earthquake the following September.
There he expressed the "appreciation, admiration and
gratitude of the entire country for what has been done here.
"The commitment of all Friuli residents as citizens,
municipalities and the Region has been the protagonist of the
great work of reconstruction in Friuli," Mattarella added.
"It is impossible to delete the memory of the devastation
and destruction," he said.
"Thanks must go to the rescuers and all Friuli residents
engaged in reconstruction."
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