Paesaggi post-terremoto a L’Aquila (2009-2014) = L'Aquila post-quake landscapes (2009-2014)

The disastrous earthquake of 6th April 2009 created a huge fissure in L’Aquila’s city history and urban development. The most frequently used adjectives to describe cities affected by earthquakes in recent years are: forgotten, abandoned, suspended and divided. These adjectives are mirrored in the physical fragmentation of L’Aquila’s post-quake landscape and its different urban temporalities and reconstructions. All the initial reconstruction energies and economies have been funnelled outside the city and spread over its surrounding area. Only recently and slowly, the pace of the reconstruction and building restoration within the city core has been increasing. Nevertheless, the impact on everyday life has been enormous. Since an overall idea of territorial re-organization has not been put forward, this has led to a confused readjustment of basic functions, leaving to people’s reorganization and social skills the ability to keep together small niches of socio-cultural life. Following is an account through words and images of the different temporalities of physical and socio-cultural reconstructions during the first 5 years of post-disaster condition, exhibited for the first time at Monditalia, part of the main exhibition of 14. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura – la Biennale di Venezia.