detail of pink and white stone basilica of the 13th century Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L'Aquila,Abruzzo,earthquake damaged
The facade of the stunningly beautiful Pink and white stone basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio where the nave crumbled in the devastation of the earthquake disaster in the beautiful small Italian city of L'Aquila in Abruzzo on 6th April 2009 . The church houses the tomb of its founder, Pope Celestine V — a 13th-century hermit and saint who was the only pontiff ever to resign. L'Aquila is the capital of the province of the same name in the region of Abruzzo in Italy and is located in the northern part of the province. It is a small, pleasant city that is surrounded by high mountains. The city was established by the German Emperor Frederick II in 1242. According to legend, Frederick gathered the population from 99 local villages into the one city. Each group of villagers in-turn created their own church, resulting in a city of 99 churches. Unfortunately, only a very few remain.
Size: 3400px × 5100px
Location: L'Aquila , Abruzzo,Italy,Italia,Europe,EU
Photo credit: © NORMA JOSEPH / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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