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How did the 1997 earthquake damage the Basilica of San Francesco?
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St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis and Scenes from His Life, tempera on panel by Bonaventura Berlinghieri, 1235; in the Church of San Francesco, Pescia, Italy.
On September 26, 1997, a major earthquake caused significant destruction to the Basilica of San Francesco. The disaster resulted in the following damage:
- Structural Collapse: Sections of the vaulted ceiling in the upper church collapsed, raining tons of debris into the sanctuary.12
- Human Toll: Tragically, four people were killed inside the church during the event.12
- Artistic Loss: The collapse shattered priceless frescoes into hundreds of thousands of pieces.12
Following the earthquake, an enormous reconstruction effort was undertaken, allowing the basilica to reopen in 1999. Restoration of the frescoes continued for years, involving the recovery and replacement of approximately 220,000 fragments. While most were restored, some works, such as Cimabueās fresco of St. Matthew, could not be fully reconstructed.1