Chiesa di San Vito 1300 ca. L'Aquila Italy

bikerkix on Flickr

In a recent blog post, I talked about discovering pizza con gli sfizzoli in the mercato in L’Aquila several weeks ago. I spent a memorable lunchtime moment chatting with Silvio, the owner of the panino shop, while soaking up the enchanting, snow capped mountains of the Gran Sasso National Park. I then strolled down a few of the tiny vicoletti of the centro storico while munching on my new-found snack.

It wasn’t my first time in L’Aquila, and God willing it won’t be my last. The work we do at italyMONDO! takes me all over the region of Abruzzo – known as “The Enchanted Region” for it marvelous landscapes, castles and culture – and its capital city L’Aquila is always a favorite stop. The State Archives, which I’ve personally visited for various clients, have been partially destroyed, as have many of the marvelous monuments, churches and other architectural and historic jewels that the region offers.

But I have a personal connection, too. My family’s ancestral village of Guardiaregia is only 50 miles away from the area. Also, my close friend Susanna is a student at the University of L’Aquila – the same university that saw their dormitory collapse in the midnight hours on April 6th. Miraculously, she was unharmed as she decided to spend the weekend home with family, 15 miles away in the village of Castelli.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the earthquake – and we at italyMONDO! are dedicated to helping out any way we can.”

And so it was with a heavy heart that I read the details and saw the pictures coming in from the area – pictures of places I’ve both personally frequented and admired. For those of us who have walked those same streets, who know the people and love the aria of the city, it is simply painful watch.

As of this writing, over 200 are dead and over 25,000 people have been displaced from their homes. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the earthquake – and we at italyMONDO! are dedicated to helping out any way we can. That’s why I have decided to donate 5% of all sales for the next month to the NIAF Abruzzo Relief Fund.

Please find it in your heart to help those in need – either by donating through italyMONDO!, or by visiting the Relief Fund site directly. After Easter, I plan to visit L’Aquila to visit with friends, assess the damage and to see what else we can do. I’ll be sure to keep you updated – and thank you for your support.