RED AREA - ZONA ROSSA

RED AREA On July 28th 1883, Casamicciola Terme, one of the six municipalities of Ischia Island, has been the epicenter of a 10.0 Mercalli scale (Richter scale magnitude 5.8) earthquake that destroyed Casamicciola in 13 seconds and where almost 2300 people lost their lives. After that quake, for several decades, Italian people used the neologism “Qui succede un Casamicciola” (Here is happening a Casamicciola), to describe disasters, chaos and confusion. On August 21st 2017, a 4,3 magnitude earthquake hit a geographical limited area of Casamicciola Terme. The victims were two and many buildings collapsed, including the Church of Santa Maria del Suffragio (built in the seventeenth century and already completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1883). This earthquake happened at 20:57 at a depth of 1,75 km, with its epicenter at the northern edge of the Mount Epomeo. Hundreds of people ran out into the streets and many of them, fearing further tremors, slept in the streets wrapped in blankets. My reportage shows the most struck areas (Maio and Rita) of Casamicciola and the atmosphere a few days after the earthquake in that upper part of the town. The first 4 photos were taken in the so called Green Area of Casamicciola, that’s to say at Via Morgera and in the main Alley, Corso Manzi, where people perceived the earthquake in a very strong way and ran out to sleep in the streets or in their cars, but where no buildings collapsed and the damages were relatively a few and not too serious inside the houses. The following 18 photos are taken in the Yellow Area, where buildings didn’t collapse, but where many habitations are not accessible or habitable and where only a few people still live in their houses. Than I took photos in the Red Area that still is in a state of sorrowful emptiness. Ruins and debris everywhere, many houses were completely destroyed, all the buildings are not habitable and people left their habitations. Now many people fear a ‘big one’, but nevertheless life continues on the Island. That's why the last photo shows some boys (who live at Casamicciola) on their rubber boat on the Beach of Casamicciola, shouting, laughing and continuously singing “il pompiere paura non ne ha” (the firefighter has no fear). When I asked them why they were singing that song, one of them answered: “Oh, you know, we see firefighters everywhere and it’s kind of empathizing with them and elaborating what we experienced that night during the quake”.