How were the Assisi frescoes affected by the 1997 earthquakes?

On September 26, 1997, a major earthquake struck the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, causing severe damage to the structure and its artistic treasures. Sections of the vaulted ceiling in the upper church collapsed, raining debris into the sanctuary and shattering the historic frescoes—including those attributed to Giotto and his followers—into hundreds of thousands of fragments.123

The disaster resulted in the tragic loss of four lives. Following the event, an extensive reconstruction effort was launched, and the basilica reopened in 1999. The restoration of the frescoes was a monumental task that continued for years; experts successfully recovered approximately 300,000 fragments, of which roughly 220,000 were painstakingly reassembled and returned to their original positions. Fragments that could not be reconstructed were cataloged and stored for future study. While many works were saved, some, such as Cimabue’s fresco of St. Matthew, could not be fully restored.12