The emergency

«Catastrophic earthquake in Friuli» was the headline in the «Messaggero Veneto» newspaper on May 7 1976. After spending the night trying to rescue the injured and recover the dead, in the morning the survivors were faced with 45 Municipalities in the seismic crater razed to the ground - including Gemona, Venzone, Buja and Osoppo - 40 seriously damaged and 52 damaged. The death toll was close to 1,000, with over 3,000 people sustaining injuries. In addition, 18,000 buildings were destroyed, and 75,000 were damaged.

The rescue operation that was set in motion was impressive: in addition to the Italian Army, already massively present in the Region, and the Fire Brigade, sections of foreign armies and many voluntary associations such as the Red Cross, retired Alpine troops, Caritas and the Scouts also rushed to the scene. Telephone and electricity lines were down, and from the very first hours after the disaster, the support of radio amateurs with their shacks proved invaluable in ensuring radio communications.

The Special Government Commissioner Giuseppe Zamberletti arrived in Udine the morning after the earthquake. An emergency and rescue coordination centre was set up in the Prefecture, where the Commissioner was assisted by four Deputy Commissioners and nine Sector Operations Centres located throughout the area. The first tent cities were set up to accommodate the homeless, and measures were taken to clear the rubble and provide first aid to the injured. Immediately, the people became convinced that they would soon be able to move from tents to houses, but the earthquakes of September 15 quickly put an end to any hopes of a quick recovery. The Government asked Zamberletti, the Special Commissioner who had left Friuli on July 25, to return to the earthquake-affected area. His task was to relocate around 40,000 people to safer locations and ensure they were provided with more stable housing.

The State managed the emergency directly through the Special Commissioner and delegated the reconstruction to the Region and local authorities.