Solidarity

The earthquake that struck Friuli in May 1976 was the first seismic event to be broadcast live on television. Images of pain and destruction were brought into Italian homes with a force that had previously been unimaginable. Newspapers sent their best reporters to the scene, and the news was picked up by media outlets around the world, reaching Friulian emigrants and their descendants scattered across all continents.

The emotional wave that followed was unlike anything ever seen before. In the aftermath of the floods in Florence and during a period of economic growth in Italy, the country came together as a community of volunteers. Thousands of men and women arrived in Friuli, first to dig trenches and put up tents, then to build prefabricated houses, and ultimately just to lend a hand.

From the very first days, the solidarity machine was set in motion, gradually spreading from Italy to Europe and beyond. Essential goods, medicines, clothing, tents, caravans and mobile homes arrived in the disaster areas in the first few weeks, followed by donations of money. Neighbouring countries took action, with Austria and Yugoslavia leading the way, followed by the European Economic Community (which had nine members at the time), the United States (which immediately sent its Vice President to visit), Australia, Canada, and South America, where large Friulian communities could be found. Even Saudi Arabia took action. In response to the emergency, the Italian Church, its dioceses and workers' organisations, along with the “Friuli nel Mondo” association (Friuli in the World) and its “Fogolârs”, the hearths of Friulian culture in countries of emigration, all sprang into action.

The cause was also supported by intellectuals, writers, artists, museum curators and the cultural sector as a whole. The issue was not only to keep the spotlight on the danger of widespread demolition due to the state of emergency, but also to view the architectural and cultural heritage of the Region from a new perspective. One of the many things that would endure after the earthquake was a new understanding of what the matrix of a historic territory's cultural heritage truly means.