The Irpinia Earthquake of November 23, 1980

„On Sunday 23rd November 1980, at 19:34 local time, an earthquake of moment magnitude 6.9 and focal depth of 7 km struck the region of Irpinia, Italy, a quake that hit some of the poorest and most rural parts of Campania, Basilicata, and Puglia, killing more than 2,500 people and at least 8000 injured. It hit 679 towns in 8 provinces and left upwards of 300,000 homeless.“ As a young photographer, I traveled in spring 1981 in the region of Salerno, an area that has been particularly affected by the earthquake. I was surprised at how this earthquake had devastated the country, everywhere collapsed or heavily damaged buildings. I was also surprised how people handle with the loss, with their fate. Now after 35 years I have found these negatives again while cleaning up my archives. A slice of life story and a small piece of history.