Italy marks decade since Amatrice earthquake as reconstruction delays persist

· Environment ITA

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend a ceremony in Amatrice on Monday to mark ten years since the August 2016 earthquake that killed 303 people and devastated central Italy, as scrutiny over the pace of rebuilding intensifies.

More than half of Amatrice's roughly 2,100 residents still live in temporary housing, and an ActionAid Italia report found that as of April 2026, 70% of planned public projects in the hardest-hit areas had not yet begun. Reconstruction commissioner Guido Castelli said the state has allocated 4.3 billion euros for public rebuilding. Meloni wrote in a book preface that the seismic crater is Europe's largest construction site, while Mayor Giorgio Cortellesi thanked her for commitments to repopulating depressed areas.

Pope Leo prayed at the Angelus for affected communities. In Capodacqua, residents continue to face blocked utilities and uncertain infrastructure a decade on.

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